


One-Sided

by SereneSorrow



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:41:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22778863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneSorrow/pseuds/SereneSorrow
Summary: For the longest time Ichigo thought that there was something wrong with his soulmark. Now he finds out that the mark is fine, but it might be that his soulmate is wrong.
Relationships: Hirako Shinji/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 35
Kudos: 302





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I actually started writing this for ShinIchi Week 2019, but I only got about half a page of it written then. I have the first three chapters finished now though, so I wanted to start posting it before this year's ShinIchi Week!

Ichigo had always wondered about his soulmate. Wondered about the mark on his arm, if there was something wrong with it, if there was something wrong with him. He'd considered dyslexia or something similar, but all of the research he'd done had indicated that a dyslexic person and their soulmate's soulmarks were unaffected by the condition. Both names were always still spelled out correctly and in their own handwriting.

He hadn't wanted to bring it up to his father, since the man must have lost his soulmark, since _mom-_ He just hadn't been comfortable with the idea of talking to his dad, so he'd worn an armband or a bandage around his arm to cover the letters as soon as they'd appeared when he was ten, barely a year after. He'd struggled through research online and in libraries and even carefully asked the few people he knew of around town, the ones who had done any of their own research and wouldn't spread around talk of his interest in the subject. It had all been fruitless, nothing had ever explained why his soulmark was so odd.

He'd just about given up on understanding it, and then there it was on the chalk board clear as day, 'Hirako Shinji'. Backwards, every letter, exactly as it was written on his arm. Ichigo stared as the dumbass whined about wanting to sit next to a pretty girl and didn't know if he should be mad or not about this guy being his soulmate. It was annoying but the guy probably thought that his 'Ichigo' was a girl. More than anything though he felt the urge to roll his eyes at the idiot. He also didn't know whether to be nervous or excited when Hirako was directed to take the empty desk beside his own with the teacher's words; “There's an open seat there next to Kurosaki.”

“Let's be friends, _Kurosaki_.” Hirako said as he sat down next to Ichigo.

“Y-yeah! Nice to meet you.” Ichigo wasn't quite sure what to make of the weird grin Hirako gave him, but Ochi-sensei started the next lesson before he could say anything more.

Ichigo wound up stressing himself out about the whole thing for the rest of the day, occasionally glancing aside at Hirako or trying _really_ hard not to. The other student didn't seem to have the same problem, he looked board sometimes but he paid more attention to the lessons than he did to the other students.

Packing up after school Ichigo hesitated, glancing at the desk beside him and the blonde sitting there putting his own books away. He thought he caught Hirako glancing back at him out of the corner of his eye but the guy didn't say anything so Ichigo wondered if he had imagined it. Gathering his courage, Ichigo released a deep breath and turned to Hirako as they both left their desks.

“So, uh, are you going to work on the history project or do you get a pass on that since you're new?” He asked, figuring it was a safe way to start a conversation.

“History project?” Hirako asked with a blink of surprise, “I don't know.” He had a musing expression on his face but Ochi-sensei had already disappeared into the school.

“Oh, well, it's supposed to cover ten chapters of the textbook. Uh, if you want I could go over it with you just in case?” Ichigo was too out of his depth to look at Hirako while he offered, he didn't usually socialize or study with anyone but his friends who were usually the ones to arrange any group plans.

“Great! Thanks for the help Kurosaki.” Hirako agreed immediately with a wide grin that kind of startled Ichigo. That was a lot of teeth. It honestly reminded him of that cat from an American movie his sisters had watched about a year ago.

“No problem. We can go to my house- Or wherever... if you-” Mortified by the way he was stumbling over the words Ichigo was relieved when Hirako interrupted him.

“Your place is fine, I've got plenty of time today.” He said with a nod as they left the nearly empty classroom.

The silence was awkward while they walked through the school and left through the front gate. Ichigo didn't know what to say, the only thing that he could think to talk about was something that he definitely didn't want to say in front of a whole crowd of his classmates. Damn the inherent secrecy about soulmates, you didn't just blurt out stuff like that, it was _private._

Luckily Hirako didn't seem to mind the quiet, which was good because Ichigo wasn't that loud most of the time anyway. Unless he was in a fight, or goat-face started something, or Keigo got on about something or other. Well Keigo or Renji, or Ikkaku, Yumichika or Rangiku, or Rukia tried to talk him into something stupid. Okay, he had a lot of reasons to shout at people, but that wasn't his fault! He just had a lot of really absurd friends.

Ichigo wound up distracted by his own train of thought and didn't recognize the signs that he was approaching a group of thugs until he and Hirako were in sight of the gang of five men dressed in loose t-shirts and ragged jeans. Ichigo cursed to himself as he slid the schoolbag in his hand off his shoulder to hang loose at his side while the older teenagers took in the sight of his hair and started egging each other on.

“Dammit. Sorry about this Hirako.” Ichigo muttered to the blonde at his side.

Hirako looked questioningly at him and followed his gaze to the group of five scowling delinquents that had pushed off the brick wall they were leaning against to approach Ichigo. He sized up the thugs in a way that kind of impressed Ichigo though, and squared his shoulders as they approached.

“You're that kid from Karakura High! Heard you took down Lil' Yama and his gang.” The thug in the center called out from six feet away.

“I guess.” Ichigo said with a scowl. He really hated it when these thugs came after him for rumors and revenge.

“Yeah, they was right, that hair stands out. It's definitely you.” The boss insisted, trying Ichigo's nerves.

“I didn't deny it, dumbass.” Ichigo scoffed back while Hirako snickered beside him. Actually that felt sort of flattering, somehow, maybe. Ichigo wondered how weird he was for thinking that, and then wondered what the new student was thinking about all this.

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING DUMBASS, ASSHOLE!” The boss shouted as he threw the sports drink in his hand at them.

It was a pretty easy dodge and the can sailed between Ichigo and Hirako as they leaned to either side. Trading a look with the blonde, Ichigo had to choke down a laugh at the wide grin on Hirako's face.

“Seriously guys, I'm just walking home from school.” Ichigo's eye twitched at the sight of the boss thug's misplaced rage.

“You bleached punks aren't going anywhere! 'Cept maybe traction!” The boss thug yelled as he gestured his gang forward.

Ichigo grimaced and stepped forward to face the thugs, so they wouldn't have a chance to lay a hand on Hirako. He planted a foot in the first one's gut and ducked a punch from a guy with a blue hat, smacking his schoolbag into the idiot's face. He had to hold back now that he'd learned to enhance his hits with reiatsu, but he couldn't let any of them past him.

The boss ducked in past his lurching minions and Ichigo was surprised by his skill. Not that he was a challenge, just that it was enough of a surprise that the minions got past him after all. Ichigo had one of the man's arms twisted up behind his back but was distracted by a punch to his knee that kind of ached. By the time he had the boss in a headlock and was able to crane his head around to look for Hirako he wound up gaping at what he saw.

Hirako casually, almost lazily threw a punch into the fourth thug's face, and the guy crumpled back onto the pile of his groaning fellows. The blonde had taken down all four of them without a scratch on him, or a single blonde hair out of place.

“Wow.” Ichigo couldn't help breathing quietly as he kneed the boss in the chin and dropped him.

“Does this happen a lot?” Hirako asked as he picked up his schoolbag and approached him with a self-satisfied smile.

“Uh, to me? Yeah, no one really believes that this is my real hair color so I kind of got a reputation from defending myself from idiots.” Ichigo explained, turning on his heel and continuing to lead the way to his house with a lighter scowl than usual.

Both of them ignored the five groaning thugs scraping themselves off the pavement and gaping at the two bright-haired students walking away from them. After a block when he was sure that the thugs weren't going to chase after them Ichigo felt like he had to say something.

“You handled that really well, but you didn't have to help out, they might start bothering you now too.” Ichigo was probably more worried about that then he should be, given how easily Hirako had taken down four thugs on his own.

“No problem, I've had my fair share of hair color fights.” Hirako said with a flamboyant rake of his fingers through his long blonde hair that wouldn't have been out of place coming from Yumichika.

Ichigo snorted, laughing lightly at that. “Yeah, okay.”

By the time they finally got to his house Ichigo was feeling pretty light, this was going well, and hopefully he'd figure out a way to bring up their soulmarks while they were studying. Knowing that his sisters would ask questions once they got home and he'd have no privacy to bring it up Ichigo lead the way up to his bedroom and they spread their books out on the floor. The history project really was a big deal but as they were going through the chapters Hirako had a lot of surprising insights about the content they went over and Ichigo figured that if the teacher didn't insist Hirako participate he could do it anyway and get extra credit with how well read he was on the subject.

They were so engrossed in discussions about the Showa period and changes to the country during World War II that Ichigo lost track of time and he didn't realize that the sky outside had gotten dark, or that Isshin had finished work. The door banged open suddenly and Ichigo jumped to his feet, spinning around just in time to catch the kick with his left shoulder, spinning the textbook clean out of his hands to bang into the floor.

“Ichigo! You have to be prepared for anything my scholastically inclined son!” the idiot was shouting as Ichigo lost his footing.

Ichigo turned with the bruising blow and landed with both hands planted on his bed, easily springing back up to shove Isshin back out of the room the way he came in. The scowl Ichigo hadn't noticed missing from his own face was back in full force as he glared at the old man tumbling down the stairs amid thumping sounds and wails to Masaki about 'their son's disrespect'.

“Dammit goat-face, I'm trying to study here!” Ichigo said as he slammed the door shut, unaware of the way Hirako's head had snapped up in surprise to see Isshin's attack, and the angry narrow-eyed look with which Hirako was observing the whole exchange.

Expelling a furious breath Ichigo turned back to the blonde. “Sorry about that, I didn't realize how late it got.” He said with a shrug, wondering why Hirako's face was totally blank.

“Dinner's probably going to be soon, if you want to stay it'd probably be fine, or if you need to get home?” His question trailed off, as he realized that he'd gotten so distracted with studying and the comfortable atmosphere that had built up that he hadn't found a chance to ask about Hirako's soulmark. He cursed himself and the missed chance, stomach churning suddenly as he wondered when he would get another opportunity to ask.

“I should probably go, I know the way but it's a bit of a walk, sooner I get home the better.” Hirako explained as he folded his books closed and packed up.

“Sure. Great, see you at school tomorrow then.” Ichigo walked Hirako out, ignoring his sisters curiosity at the new visitor and waiting on the doorstep until he couldn't see Hirako in the distance anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

It has been two days since Hirako first came to Karakura High School and Ichigo had seen him in class and afterward on both days. The next morning, the morning of day three, Ichigo still didn't know what to think. He hadn't had time to talk to Hirako _immediately_ after school again, but then that night he had been hunting hollows as usual when he had sensed someone coming up behind him. In a flash he had turned and caught a blade against his own zanpakutō and been shocked to recognize Hirako at the other end of the blade.

_'Why does my soulmate have a zanpakutō? What the Hell is going on?'_ Ichigo asked himself as he sat at his desk before class started.

Hirako had been spouting some nonsense about joining him and staying away from soul reapers, and he'd pulled a hollow mask down over his face out of nowhere. The memory was still with him and Ichigo couldn't help seeing it all again.

_“Who are you really?” Ichigo demanded, ignoring Hirako's weird warning about being quiet or something._

_“Do I have to spell it out for you? Fine, take a look.” Hirako said as one hand rose over his face and he pulled at the air, the gesture sending a sense of foreboding through Ichigo._

_White bone appeared, and Ichigo gaped at the hollow mask as Hirako pulled it away from his face._

_“I was once a soul reaper, one who gained the powers of a hollow.” Hirako gave that same grin Ichigo had seen in class earlier. “I did say 'let's be friends' the first moment we met. We're alike Kurosaki, I think you should join us.”_

_'Join who?'_ Ichigo wondered as he shook his head and shook off the memory.

He had refused flat out at the time, the soul reapers were his friends, well some of them anyway. Besides, he was a substitute soul reaper, some strange mask that kept showing up didn't change that. At least, Ichigo hoped that it didn't. His refusal had stopped Hirako from explaining any further though, and now Ichigo had no idea just what kind of group his soulmate was a part of.

Maybe that was why Hirako hadn't said anything to him about being soulmates, maybe this group he was in was more important to him or something. Ichigo sighed at that, the groups he'd met so far that didn't like soul reapers hadn't come out of their disagreements well, Ishida was a Quincy and they were almost gone, the Bount had been destroyed even though he'd tried to talk Kariya out of his plans. Frustrated, Ichigo felt furious that his soulmate was involved in something like this, he needed to find out more about Hirako's group. He had to intervene, Ichigo knew that he had to somehow find a way to stop whatever plans Hirako had to oppose the Gotei 13, he couldn't just step back and let his soulmate get himself killed doing something stupid like standing up to an army.

Another thought stirred his conscience though, and that was the fact that he didn't know what slight had caused Hirako's rift with the soul reapers. He had said that he was once a soul reaper, so that meant that he wasn't any more, probably because of what he'd said about gaining the powers of a hollow. Ichigo knew that there had to be more to the whole situation, that his refusal had kept Hirako from explaining, he just didn't know if it was another unfair judgement by the Central 46 like Rukia's execution or if Hirako was actually guilty of something. If it was the former then maybe Ichigo could _do_ something, but if it was the latter Ichigo didn't know what to do.

Ichigo glanced around the classroom as Inoue arrived with a loud and cheerful greeting for him and was filled with disbelief when Hirako slid into the classroom practically on her heels and copied her words, even the way she waved at him. He couldn't believe that Hirako was acting like _nothing_ happened between them last night. Ichigo was still speechless as he watched Inoue greeting Hirako, blinking at the over the top display of Hirako throwing his arms around the girl just because she remembered his name. He honestly couldn't believe how well Hirako seemed to be fitting in with his friends, already arguing with Keigo who was all riled up for some reason.

He couldn't deal with this, not for another second. Standing, he grabbed Hirako's shirt and dragged him from the room, not even sure of what excuse he was saying as the blonde stumbled behind him and through the door. He ignored his friends looks and questions as he started off down the hallway with Hirako twisting in his grip to walk more easily beside him.

Once they were on the balcony away from the busy classrooms Ichigo slammed Hirako against a post. Glaring angrily at the blonde to mask the utter confusion he was feeling about everything from Hirako's intentions to his mere presence at the school, Ichigo kept his hand on Hirako's chest to hold him still. He didn't know what he wanted to say, he just knew that it was time he got some answers.

“That hurts you know!” The blonde said with a pained grunt from where Ichigo kept him pinned. He kept talking, rambling on about school nonsense that Ichigo couldn't care less about right now.

“Why are you freaking out anyway? Inoue isn't your girlfriend is she?” Hirako would have gone on with that line of thought if Ichigo hadn't interrupted.

“No! She's just a friend, That's not what this is about!" Ichigo insisted, voice too loud but he couldn't imagine how his soulmate could seriously have just asked him about a girlfriend, it seemed ridiculous to Ichigo that he would have started dating someone when he had always known he would wait for his soulmate.

"What the Hell is it with you? Why are you messing around with my friends? If you're just trying to recruit me what are you still doing here when I already said no anyway?” Ichigo demanded, because he really didn't get that bit, unless Hirako was _more_ determined because they were soulmates. Ichigo would have liked to think that was the reason, but he couldn't trust the possibility to be Hirako's motive, especially after his most recent words about Inoue and the entirely carefree way he'd said them.

“I think I'll be the judge of when I'm done, and you'll find I don't give up easily. You're already one of us Ichigo, whether you like it or not, you'll never be anything but a Visored from this point on. I know it, my friends know it and you know it. Soon enough all of your friends will know it too.” Hirako looked angry, and the expression darkened his whole face, the words digging into Ichigo's recent and all too real worries.

The hollow, he gulped, that thing inside him had been scaring him more and more lately. Hirako's eyes were half-lidded and he grinned without showing teeth, something sinister in the expression made Ichigo gasp.

“Do you think that your friends will stand by you when the hollow devours you and your sanity disappears?” Hirako surged up and grabbed Ichigo's shirt like a mirror to the way Ichigo had dragged him around earlier and yanked him so close that their chests touched, nose to nose Hirako glared at him.

“Your hollow will destroy everything and everyone in your life, and it's already started taking over, you know it has. We can help you though, Ichigo. If you join us we can teach you how to control your hollow. We can show you how to harness its power for yourself to make you stronger.” Hirako's tone was serious and Ichigo had to grit his teeth to get a hold of himself.

“I can control it, I don't need your help with that, so whatever it is you want from me you can just forget it.” Ichigo insisted despite the resurgence of worry that Hirako's words initiated, instead planting both hands on Hirako's shoulders to shove himself back but before he could Hirako's next words distracted him.

“You think I'm just going to give up because of what happened between us last night? I'll ride you 'til you _beg_ to join us.” Hirako insisted in a low voice, hand gripping Ichigo's shirt tighter and leaning over him with his greater height.

The choice of words short-circuited Ichigo's brain, his teenage mind taking the words out of context and in another direction entirely and Ichigo's whole body froze as his blood rushed south and he struggled not to blush. His soulmate just said _that_ , he couldn't have stopped himself from reacting if he tried. Ichigo scowled to try to cover his reaction, but it was impossible to hide with Hirako's face less than an inch away from his own, certainly not with the way their bodies were so close together and nearly brushing each other. Ichigo breathed quickly at the realization of how close together they were standing and forced his body to remain still.

“We should get back to class don't you think, Ichigo? I'd love to talk more about all this after school. You wouldn't mind meeting up again for some _private_ studying, right?” The blonde smirked at him through the words, teasing him for reacting like that and in an instant all Ichigo wanted to do was punch him in his stupid, smug face.

Ichigo grit his teeth in frustration and willed the urge to hit Hirako away as they disentangled their hands from each other's shirts. Hirako straightened himself out first and Ichigo followed after the blonde back to the classroom, cursing his reaction to his soulmate's words and the fact that he'd have to deal with it for the rest of class now.

Neither of them noticed Arisawa observing their display from the courtyard below and mistaking it for something else, or rather what it should have been given what they were to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Used a lot of dialogue from the episode, I tried to change it as much as possible, but between the words spoken in English, the slightly different words in the subtitles, and the words in the book I have, well even when I changed it a lot was still the same. I'm hoping to go back and change it at a later time, but I still want the point of the whole thing to be the same so I keep putting it off...  
> Edit 6/20/20: added quite a bit to the chapter, but still hoping to change it more later... :D


	3. Chapter 3

Visored.

Ichigo turned the word over in his mind as he thought about what he now knew. So the facts of the matter were that Hirako used to be a soul reaper, and now he wanted to train Ichigo. He could have just _asked_ , what was with all of this production? He didn't have to _trick_ Ichigo into trusting him. He could have just been honest.

Ichigo's mind wandered over what he had learned at school yesterday while he got dressed. He hadn't slept well at all, even after a productive patrol of Karakura Town and several purified hollows. Mainly because Hirako had shown up again to offer to lead him to where his 'Visoreds' were staying to introduce them. Ichigo had blown him off after school, ducking out of the classroom quickly despite Hirako's request to talk to him afterward, and he had a feeling that his avoidance had something to do with the negative turn their next confrontation that night had gone. Watching Hirako storm off when he refused again had been strangely painful, but Ichigo hadn't known _what_ to do.

Now he was yawning and still trying to wake up as he gathered his things for school and headed downstairs still unable to take his mind off of his soulmate's cryptic offerings. Maybe he should have gone along, seen who it was that he was dealing with in order to find out just how closely involved Hirako was with them. If there was a way to get Hirako away from them, or talk him out of whatever they were planning. He'd been too worried at the time though, and had immediately refused because he was afraid of what he might say in a heated moment about what Hirako was doing.

He wanted to believe that he would be able to get through to Hirako, they were supposed to be soulmates and that should make them closer to each other than anyone else, but it didn't feel the way people described it. He didn't feel inexplicably connected to Hirako. Where was the unconditional trust? Where was the magnetic pull drawing them towards each other? It was frustrating, especially because Hirako was still acting so suspiciously.

He only approached Ichigo about these Visoreds at night, at school it was all his new student act, and some of Ichigo's friends were already getting used to him. Ichigo just didn't know what to do, and he didn't know if there was anyone he could ask for advice either. If he told anyone about Hirako's Visored, his 'masked army' talk, then it could get Hirako in a lot of trouble with soul society. Likewise, how was he supposed to explain it all to anyone without revealing why he cared what happened to the new stranger and enemy of soul society?

Ichigo shook his head to clear it as he finished packing up for his day and glanced at the clock. There was a little time for breakfast today, so when Ichigo went downstairs he stopped in the kitchen to share the meal with his family, and wound up staring across the table at his father. He'd been mildly curious as to why he hadn't been woken with a battle cry and a foot to the face but he'd decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth by questioning it. He just got an answer anyway, Isshin was seated at the table but even sitting it was easy to see the swathes of bandages he was practically swimming in. Ichigo blinked in surprise as he took in the white wrapping around Isshin's forehead and plastered across his cheek and neck, banding down his shoulder and around both arms. Bruises were visible around the edges, and his left eye was swollen nearly shut. Ichigo had no idea what could have happened, even when he tossed Isshin down the stairs or out of a window he didn't look anywhere near this bad.

Isshin noticed him looking and shook out the newspaper he was reading, folding it and setting it aside. Karin was eating slowly, paying attention but trying not to let anyone notice her, while Yuzu was still serving out the food she had made for them all.

“That classmate of yours is banned from this house.” Isshin announced, a serious look on his face that Ichigo and his sisters rarely had a chance to see. He was speaking through the congestion of a broken nose and the words sounded thick.

“What?” Ichigo stared, asking a bit faintly, “Hirako did this?”

_'What the Hell? Why would he beat up Isshin?'_ Ichigo didn't understand it, and tried to think through the implications.

_'Is it some kind of intimidation tactic? Join up with the Visored or my family will suffer the consequences?'_ No way in Hell would Ichigo cave and join up with a bunch of cowardly thugs that would come after innocent family members. If Hirako or his Visored came anywhere near Karin or Yuzu, then Ichigo wouldn't hold back no matter who Hirako was, he'd be asking for a beating.

_'How can Hirako do this to his own soulmate's family?'_ It didn't make _any_ sense to Ichigo. Here he was, struggling to find out more about Hirako and figure out a way to help him and Hirako was attacking people and making threats!

Focusing back on the world outside his thoughts in time to see Isshin glaring suspiciously at him, Ichigo nodded and said something vague in agreement before taking his own seat at the table. Yuzu and Karin were trying to look serious, like they agreed wholeheartedly that whatever jerk Ichigo had met at school who had put their father in this condition was no longer welcome in their home. They might even _be_ serious about it, they didn't get 'sneak attack' assaulted at every turn. Ichigo for one was just completely flabbergasted that Hirako would have even done something like this, even though he knew how capable the man was after the fight that first day they'd met and knowing that he was a former soul reaper with hollow powers.

Ichigo turned his attention to his meal, not feeling very hungry anymore, but dutifully ate his dear sister's delicious cooking. The table was silent for the rest of the meal and Ichigo ate quickly before heading off to school, getting out of the uncomfortable atmosphere around the table. Along the way to school Ichigo had some time to think about what had happened and he came to the realization that Hirako had definitely crossed a line. Generally, Ichigo was sure that Goat-face could handle himself, he always picked himself up after Ichigo's counter-attacks after all. So however Hirako had gotten the drop on him, and it had to be near the clinic or their _home_ because it could only have happened last night after Ichigo had refused Hirako's offer to meet his Visoreds, was too close to Yuzu and Karin for Ichigo to ignore.

Walking into school so furious with Hirako about his family's safety Ichigo didn't immediately notice that there were whispers following him. To be completely honest, he rarely paid attention to girls' gossiping behind their hands, and he had something of a sixth sense for guys that were looking to fight him so if _that_ wasn't what was bothering him he usually didn't bother to look around at the little disturbances like this.

It wasn't until he was nearly to his own classroom that he heard Hirako's name and looked up suspiciously, wondering if the man had done anything else that could have gotten him the attention of the whole school, besides beating up a grown man and doctor. Ichigo spotted the group of third years glancing at him and his eyebrow ticked in surprise at their reaction to seeing him being to burst into giggles instead of sending him the dark looks they usually would have given him for being 'a punk' and 'waste of their time'. It was a reputation he'd gotten used to over the years, most of the girls were either devoted to the school and their grades and didn't want him dragging them down or they were obsessed with which boy they wanted to date and wanted him out of the way of their view of other boys since he wasn't a good prospect. In fact, as he passed them by, too sensible to ask them what was going on and look like an idiot one of them actually reached out and ruffled his hair. The action startled him, and set all three of them and about twenty other girls in the hallway to laughing and giggling as the one who'd done it scampered away with her friends right behind her while Ichigo scowled harder than usual at all of them.

Just after he'd slid the classroom door open he heard the whispering renewed behind him and learned just what they were all so interested in talking about. The words made him freeze and his eyes widened in shock at what he heard, and he was so distracted that he didn't even notice several small groups of his classmates inside the room were also talking about Hirako.

“Anyway, Hirako must have totally kissed Kurosaki back!”

“If they were at it long enough to be seen then it had to be mutual!”

“I heard it was really early in the morning, like right around this time!”

“Do you think they make a good couple though? It's kind of weird that they both have that bright hair.”

“Maybe they're soulmates? Do you think?”

“Well _that_ could explain the hair.”

_'What the Hell?'_ Ichigo screamed internally as he slammed the door shut behind himself and hurried to his seat, ignoring the attention focused on him.

It didn't make sense, he had no idea _when_ he and Hirako were supposed to have been _kissing_. He didn't even know where these rumors could have come from! Berating himself for not paying more attention to the talk as he walked into the school Ichigo waited for time to crawl tortuously slowly toward the first bell. Once class started he could at least _try_ to get the gossip out of his head, and maybe the whole mess would blow over without anyone actually talking to him about it.

With relief, Ichigo dedicated the entire class to focusing on Ochi-sensei, ignoring any side glances from his classmates. He tried not to wonder why Hirako, sitting right next to him, didn't seem to notice or be bothered by any of it. Finally it was lunchtime and Ichigo was for once in a hurry to leave his seat and the classroom, rushing out ahead of anyone who might turn on him to ask questions. He stopped in the restroom one floor up and hid in a stall for a few minutes just to make sure that no one was actually following him. Which he wished wasn't something that he had to worry about but while he may not pay much attention to the rumor mill he had still caught on to the way some of the 'scandals' would laser focus what seemed like most of the school on one individual.

Finally, deciding he'd be safe from anyone hoping to talk to him directly, Ichigo left the bathroom and headed up to the roof to meet his friends. He hadn't avoided the gossips entirely, and along the way he overheard several more comments that made him scowl and keep his eyes focused ahead, hopefully he could get to his friends without reacting to anything.

“There he is! The one who was kissing the new transfer student.”

“Kurosaki? Since when is he gay?”

“Jeez, no wonder all those guys are always trying to beat him up, wonder if he ever asked any of those thugs out?”

_'What! Seriously?'_ Ichigo thought to himself as a bunch of the thugs he'd fought with in the past flashed through his mind and made him cringe internally.

“Eww! Those jerks wouldn't be Kurosaki's type!”

“Seriously though, do you think the new guy likes him too?”

“Maybe they're dating?”

“Bet Kurosaki would _like that._ ”

Ichigo could practically hear the leer in those words but he resolutely kept from turning his head to identify the speaker. He didn't want to know, he _really_ didn't want to know.

“Did you see him when he got back to class? He was definitely hard!” Someone who must have been in his class whispered to a chorus of giggles and Ichigo scowled harder and kept walking.

_'Damnit! I knew someone would notice!'_ Ichigo fumed, trying not to blush over unfortunate biology.

Finally Ichigo made it to the roof, and he strode quickly toward the spot where his friends usually gathered. Damn the rumors, how had that even gotten started? He'd been threatening Hirako, not making out with him, who the Hell had seen them anyway? Ichigo was fuming by the time he sat down next to Chad, who glanced aside and nodded at him in a show of acknowledgement of Ichigo's misfortunes. Of the rest of his friends, Ishida, Keigo and Mizuiro looked over at him to observe his mood and decided against any words that might suggest they believed the rumors, while the girls fidgeted as though they _did_ want to ask. Thankfully Chizuru was stalled in the act of opening her mouth by the first thoughts that came to Keigo's mind.

“Ichigoooo! Don't worry my man! They'll forget all about you in a few days. I know! If I draw their attention they'll have something even better to talk about! Inoue, go on a date with me, that'll be huge gossip!” Keigo's attempt to hug Inoue was cut off by a punch from Chizuru who forgot about anything she might have said, so Ichigo supposed that he didn't mind the exchange.

“You didn't actually kiss Hirako-kun though, did you?” Inoue asked quietly.

“Of course not!” Ichigo snapped, then shut his mouth apologetically for being rude.

“I didn't think so, you looked like you were mad at him when you pulled him outside to talk to him.” She said, which was a relief, at least his friends were clear on what happened.

For a brief moment, Ichigo wondered though. He was upset about all the gossiping, because who he may or may not be kissing was not the whole school's business, but Hirako _was_ his soulmate. So the idea of kissing him shouldn't be so weird, but his feelings were so confused at this point that Ichigo had no idea what to think. He _still_ didn't even have confirmation that his own name was written on Hirako's wrist, and all things Visored were taking up the majority of his Hirako-centric thoughts, so much so that Ichigo didn't even know how he felt anymore.

“Hey gang! So what are we chatting about?” Hirako said, cheerfully oblivious as he strode up to the group, late because he was holding food newly purchased from the cafeteria.

“You!” Ichigo seethed, glaring up at the blonde. He'd meant it as an exclamation for Hirako's arrival, but realized that it was also an answer to his question.

“The rumor that you and Kurosaki were seen kissing before class yesterday.” Ishida explained in a shocking amount of betrayal.

Ichigo didn't even want to know why Ishida was participating in this conversation. He usually ignored gossip like the plague and he'd been silent so far, Ichigo had assumed that he wasn't interested in the whole thing. In fact, he should be treating it as yet another 'Ichigo needs everybody's attention' moment of grandstanding or something, not jumping onto the bandwagon. Ichigo glared at Ishida and then back at Hirako as the blonde spoke.

“Oooh, raunchy. So what do ya' say Kurosaki? Wanna give the fangirls a photo op?” Hirako said as he sat down next to Ichigo and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“This isn't a manga you Cheshire lunatic!” Ichigo shoved his arm away and stood up, stomping around the circle of his friends to Chad's other side and squeezing in between him and Ishida.

“Gee, you're sensitive. It's just gossip, I don't even care.” Hirako spoke offhandedly, the look on his face showing just how little a bunch of high school kids in the living world meant to him.

Ichigo looked down at the roof, wondering if Hirako felt as dismissive of Ichigo himself. They _were_ soulmates, right? Ichigo shook his head and looked around at his friends, who were no longer arguing over Keigo's attention grabbing and looked back at him with support and understanding.

“I just want to know who the Hell started all this gossip!” Ichigo stated, letting out his frustrations with the whole situation. Across the circle from him, Tatsuki shifted uncomfortably and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. “Tatsuki?!!?!”

“I-I didn't mean for everyone to find out, but I saw you two kissing on the balcony before class an-” She was still looking uncomfortable, understandable given that the whole group was staring at her now, and Ichigo couldn't even let her finish her explanation.

“Kissing! We were not! I was yelling at him!” Ichigo gaped at his friend, feeling betrayed.

“Why yes indeed, he was very cross with me. I asked him to help me with some club activities and he flat out refused, wouldn't even explain why he didn't have time to look in on our projects.” Hirako agreed seriously, though it turned into a pout by the end which apparently won him some points.

Ichigo gaped at the Visored, and the way he had neatly curried favor with Ichigo's friends who were now turning on him with nagging things to say about Ichigo's selfishness.

“Yeah, I can never get Ichigo to do anything after school any more!” Keigo commiserated.

“What kind of club? I can't get him to join my Manga Reading Club either!” Chizuru asked, reminding Ichigo to run for the hills if she ever asked him to read that smut again.

“I could help you Hirako!” Inoue offered excitedly, but Hirako deftly refused.

“No! I'm determined now, I'll have Kurosaki's help or no one's! After all, I need to win him over somehow, he seems to have some kind of grudge against me. Never fear! I will break down his walls and become one of his dearest friends, and then we can all hang out together like this every day!” The speech brought sparkles to Inoue's eyes, and earned Keigo's fervent approval, while Ichigo groaned in defeat.

It wasn't like that at all, Ichigo wanted to be closer to Hirako, he just couldn't get past this Visored thing. If he could just have a real conversation (and ask Hirako if they were soulmates) then maybe his honest words about wanting Hirako to give up this 'masked army' thing would actually do some good. As most of his friends carried on with tips for how Hirako might get Ichigo's help, he looked aside as Tatsuki sat down next to him.

“I really am sorry Ichigo, I didn't _mean_ to be overheard when I asked Orihime if anything was going on between you two.” She apologized, the repentant look on her face proving her words.

Ichigo sighed in defeat and told her it was no problem, it would all blow over eventually. He hoped his words were true, because he had no idea if he and Hirako ever were going to kiss for real and he didn't want to only have false rumors for this memory.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is not the chapter 4 that I already had written (good thing I didn't post it last month after all!) I was going over my outline for this story and wound up re-reading about four of the manga volumes like five times and somehow decided to stick closer to canon than I had planned... so the chapter count went up and will probably do so again... but the last several chapters will be nothing like canon which had been the original plan so we'll see how this goes now... ack.

Striking out against the after school crowd was a daunting prospect, one which kept Ichigo in his seat long after the bell rang, only slowly packing away his things one book or page at a time. Hirako had glanced aside at him when he hadn't stood up right away and had then leaned back in his own seat with a grin on his face that suggested he knew exactly what Ichigo was trying to avoid and had decided to kick back and watch the show. Ichigo kind of wanted to strangle him, or at least grab him by the collar and shake him until he stopped thinking that the gossip was _funny_. Unfortunately Ichigo had no doubt that if he did any such thing someone would see and completely misconstrue what was going on, just like the last time.

Instead of making a fool of himself, Ichigo did his best to ignore the guy he was 80% sure was his soulmate and just stick with his plan of waiting as long as possible in order to avoid as many of the other students as he could. Unfortunately his plan was contingent on everyone actually leaving, and several of his classmates had caught the fact that neither he nor Hirako were getting out of their seats, which apparently was worthy enough of gossip on its own.

“Maybe they're going to walk home together.” A girl whispered from near the doorway.

“Or they're going out on a date after school!” Her friend said with a laugh as she dragged her friend out of class behind her.

Ichigo had to take a minute to breathe because he wasn't sure if he was blushing or not. He _really_ hoped not, but he didn't dare glance at Hirako because if his face was red then the blonde was definitely going to say something. Stuffing the last of his papers into his bag and flipping it closed he breathed deeply one more time and when he was sure that he was as calm as he was going to get he stood up. Of course Hirako stood barely a second later and followed him to the door which only seemed to confirm for the whisperers they were already overhearing that they were actually leaving school _together_.

Traditional scowl now in place Ichigo glared at any and everyone that came between him and the door, trying to pretend that the confusing enigma trailing behind him wasn't in fact there at all. Honestly, it wasn't that he didn't want to spend any time with Hirako, or talk to him about what was going on, it was just that it wasn't any of anyone else's damn business. So he ignored the continuing gossip and looks, waved to a few of his actual friends and slipped on his shoes. Somehow he wasn't surprised when Hirako fell in step with him just past the school gates as they headed the same way they had after Hirako's first day.

“Are you following me?” Ichigo asked without looking aside at his companion, and once they had lost most of the other students heading their own ways along the same road.

“What, I can't walk home with a school friend? How else am I going to convince you to join in my after-school club?” Hirako asked lightly.

“Yeah, right, the _club_. You seriously want to talk about that _now?_ ” Ichigo scoffed, recalling the whole 'Visored' pitch that Hirako had shared.

“When else? You seem to get upset when I interrupt you at _work_ , and school didn't go so well last time either.” Hirako offered, his grin still in place.

Just as Ichigo was about to reply they were interrupted. They both halted in their tracks as a blonde guy with a bunch of ear and lip piercings and in their own Karakura High School uniform stepped out of a cross street and into their path. Ichigo thought maybe he'd seen the guy somewhere before even though he couldn't really place where or when, but he figured that the guy couldn't be that memorable or tough since he needed more than twenty other guys to back him up for whatever _this_ was.

“So, Kurosaki's a fag huh? I knew it had ta be some kind of fluke that you beat me an' my guys last time!” The blonde said with way more self confidence than Ichigo felt anyone who needed that much backup deserved.

“What are you talking about?” Ichigo asked through gritted teeth.

He would have left it alone even after the stupid insult, ignored the guy and gone around, but the others had all spread out around them and were blocking most of the street. Ichigo wasn't going to waste time running around them trying to get away, he knew he'd just look stupid and give them a reason to think they could try something like this again. Beside him Hirako had lost the smile, eyes gone kind of narrow as he glared at the thugs. He looked about as ready for a fight as Ichigo was feeling after this frustrating day, and Ichigo dropped his school bag to crack his knuckles while Mr. Thug yammered on.

“Whole school's talking about it, you freaks and what you were gettin' up to the other day. Well the guys and I got together and decided that we don't like havin' fags like you in our school.” The words were based on a misunderstanding and a whole lot of gossip but Ichigo was furious anyway, and was good and ready to punch this idiot in the face.

“Ya' know, I don't think we've met. Do you actually go to the school or did you steal that uniform along with the lunch money?” Hirako taunted from beside him, letting his own school bag fall to the sidewalk.

“What? I'm Ōshima Reiichi! I'm the baddest boss in class 1-3!” The leader yapped, and Ichigo shrugged in confusion when Hirako looked aside at him.

“Never heard of you, maybe if you were in class more often you'd have more of a reputation?” Hirako dismissed, riling the guy up enough that he threw the first punch.

Ichigo almost wanted to laugh at how easy that had been for Hirako to accomplish, but jumping out of the way of one of Ōshima's fellow thugs took precedence and before he knew it he found himself fighting back to back with Hirako as the thugs spread out around them. Ichigo found that he could really use the outlet for his frustrations, although he still had to hold back so much that it wasn't anything like the relief it could have been, whereas Hirako seemed to be almost bored with the whole thing. Out of the corner of his eye Ichigo could see just how easily Hirako ducked from every punch and kick, only striking his opponents after they'd had time to take a shot or two and then completely incapacitating them with barely any effort at all.

Knowing now that Hirako had powers just like he himself did made it a lot less impressive that Hirako was winning so easily, but more so that he wasn't injuring anyone badly enough to need a doctor. Ichigo could appreciate both his skill and his restraint, but now really wasn't the time to be letting himself get distracted, which was something he paid for by actually catching a punch on the chin before he got Ōshima in a hold and could flip him bodily over one of the other thugs.

Scowling again as he rubbed his chin and stepped over the groaning idiots Ichigo grabbed both his own bag and Hirako's, tossing the second bag to the blonde as he steered around a few dumb fools who thought that they weren't quite out of the fight yet and tried to grab at his pant legs to trip him up. Hirako caught the bag easily, one-handed, and fell in step with him again as they left the guys behind. Neither of them were breathing particularly hard and they'd shaken off the last of the fight by the time they'd gotten two blocks away. By the time they were nearing the Kurosaki Clinic Ichigo was finally starting to think about what he was doing again, and he almost flinched when he realized.

“Actually, you can't come to my house.” Ichigo kind of blurted out, not thinking through his words first because he could already see the corner of his house.

“That's a strange thing to say, we're already here.” Hirako looked like he was faking being puzzled over Ichigo's words and Ichigo gritted his teeth for a minute before replying.

“I mean, you're... banned from the house. My dad doesn't like you.” Ichigo threw a glare and a deeper scowl over at the blonde. “I wonder why?”

“Hmm? Oh, because of that talk I had with your dad? He's sore about that?” Hirako asked, looking completely indifferent.

Ichigo gaped at him for a moment, lost as to how to reply. Hirako was actually admitting to talking to Isshin, which was pretty close to admitting that he'd been the one to beat the stuffing out of him, and apparently he really _didn't_ care about it. Wondering why and how Hirako could have gone after his family before, Ichigo had thought that there must have been some kind of threat behind it but Hirako wasn't acting threatening at all, so Ichigo had absolutely no idea what his agenda was. It just didn't make any sense, why had Hirako attacked Isshin and how much of a danger was he to Ichigo's family?

“What's the matter with you?” Ichigo demanded. “You can't just do something like that! Why did you even-”

“Ichigo!” Isshin's voice called out, and Ichigo turned to see him standing in the doorway and glaring at Hirako.

For a minute Ichigo wanted to drag Hirako back around the corner and interrogate him, but seeing Isshin that serious and angry was pretty rare and Ichigo was at a bit of a loss. With one more silent look at Hirako he headed toward his house while Hirako waved like an idiot.

“See you in school tomorrow Kurosaki!” Were Hirako's parting words before Ichigo stepped into his home.

Feeling both furious and out of sorts, Ichigo kicked off his shoes and stormed up to his room and even ignored his sisters along the way. Dimly he noted that they were home earlier than usual but he didn't stop to question it. There must have been a break from their clubs or something, but it wasn't something that he could care about right now. Instead he just dropped his bag and laid down on his bed while Kon lept out of his dresser drawer and plushie lion feet appeared in his line of sight.

“Man Ichigo! I've been trying to find an opportunity to talk to you all day! Where were you last night?” The lion sounded like he was worried about something.

“Fighting a hollow, you knew that. What did you do, get my body in trouble?” Ichigo _knew_ that he shouldn't have let Kon run around in his body so late last night.

After the stuff he'd been hearing about while he'd been in soul society Ichigo was almost reconsidering keeping Kon around, almost, he wouldn't be cruel enough to actually give Kon back to Getaboshi although he didn't think that it would really lead to Kon's destruction. Getting to know Getaboshi a bit better during his training, Ichigo was fairly sure that the man would have found a way to keep Kon out of trouble, somehow.

“Ichigo! I'm talking to you! This is serious you know! I almost got eaten alive last night. You say you were fighting hollows but I didn't see you showing up to chase Grand Fisher when he came after me looking for you!” Kon's complaints made Ichigo's whole body freeze up and his blood run cold before the heat of anger filled him.

Grand Fisher. The hollow that had killed mom, that Ichigo had managed to drive off but not defeat. Ichigo hadn't even _noticed_ , had it been when he was arguing with Hirako or had he just been that oblivious? Ichigo knelt up on his bed, staring down at Kon. He was about to demand the details of what had happened and how Kon had escaped, if Grand Fisher was still _around_ , but before he had the chance Kon was already sharing.

“He was stronger! I mean I know I didn't meet him before, but there was something weird about him, he had a sword and everything.” Kon said, waving his plush arms wildly.

For a moment the world around him faded out, just going a bit indistinct as Ichigo was swallowed up by a sense of wrongness. Thinking about Grand Fisher always put him in a dark place, but this was different, he could feel it. Suddenly he could hear the hollow inside himself, calling his name.

_'What am I supposed to do? I don't need to hear it from Hirako to know I'm in trouble if I can't control it, but can I really afford to trust him to train me? Without dragging me into a fight against my friends?'_ Ichigo thought as the strange sensory assault disappeared.

Regaining his bearings and tuning back in to Kon's words Ichigo realized that he couldn't have been distracted for as long as he had thought, it didn't sound like Kon had gotten much farther in his explanation. He was still gesturing with his arms and going on about the sword.

“I've never seen a hollow with a sword, but this one almost looked like a human wearing a hollow suit! His mask's mouth was open and I could see a face in there, I didn't even know hollows could do that! You should be careful Ichigo, something's going on with-” Kon's tirade was cut short when Ichigo's bedroom door opened.

Kon froze mid word and toppled over, falling limply onto the bed on his back like a regular stuffed animal just as Karin pushed her way into the room. As Ichigo looked over his shoulder and then turned to face her he realized that she looked determined, and he waited to hear what she had to say.

“Ichigo. I know.” Karin said, plainly though Ichigo had no idea what she was talking about.

“What are you talking about Karin?” Ichigo asked as he sat on the edge of the bed while she shut the door and came to stand in the center of the room in front of him.

“I know that I've always said I don't believe in ghosts, even though I can see them, but it's time I stopped living in denial. I know that you're a ghost, that you fight other ghosts. I've seen you, in that black outfit with the sword.” Karin poured out all the words that proved to Ichigo that she'd found out exactly what he'd been trying to keep a secret from her, and he had no idea what to say in response.

Before he could come up with a convincing lie, or actually tell her the truth, a mountain of reiatsu crashed down on them and sent Karin stumbling forward. Lunging forward and catching her before she hit the floor, Ichigo looked around wildly before he realized that the hollow he was sensing was farther away than the house.

_'Is this Grand Fisher?'_ Ichigo asked himself, appalled briefly that the strong hollow Kon had mentioned could have gone unnoticed to him last night, before he realized that he didn't recognize the reiatsu signature at all.

Whoever it was, they were far too powerful and exerting way too much of that power to be anything but dangerous, in fact Ichigo realized with a flash of shock that he'd never felt a hollow this powerful before. He exchanged a worried look with his sister, but he knew he needed to go, and as soon as Ichigo had helped Karin lean against the side of his bed he turned to the window. He was already reaching for the pill in Kon's mouth and popping it quickly into his own before Karin had a chance to speak.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Karin gasped, reaching for him even though he was too far away for her to grab.

Instead Kon grabbed her around the shoulders to keep her from trying to climb up onto the bed after him, the mod soul staring over her shoulder at the bedroom door and not looking back at Ichigo or saying anything. Karin actually ignored Kon, and Ichigo didn't know what she was thinking about there being 'two of him' at the moment.

“I'll explain later, someone's in trouble.” Ichigo said sadly as he lept out the window, honestly feeling ashamed of himself for putting that look of fear on his little sister's face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the story officially decided to grow some real plot (well, grew into the canon plot and then mutated in it's own direction back to the ending I already had planned), and is now getting more than a little out of hand, so the chapter count has gone up again.  
> Anyway... I appreciate all the comments even if I haven't had time to reply lately, and I have the next three chapters written so yay, regular updates! and I don't know if I've said it in this story yet but if you ever want to see if I've got updates ready you can look on my profile page where I try to keep an updated list of what I've got finished.

Leaving Karin the way he had made his heart clench with regret, but he shoved the feeling away quickly as he lept down from his bedroom window to the street. It felt almost like time was running out as he turned toward the heavy reiatsu that he could feel spreading out over the town. The distance between his house and the park, where he judged the hollow to be, wasn't too far but he still raced the whole way as fast as he could. His heartbeat was steady after the initial shock of the strong hollow's reiatsu, and he was sure that he was ready to take on whatever he came face to face with, but as he came closer to the park he started to look around himself. There were people crumpled on the ground, all around him it seemed as though everyone had just fallen where they'd been standing. There were even cars that had crashed while their drivers and passengers were collapsed in their seats. The hollow, Ichigo realized, must have done something to them all. With a shiver he wondered if they were all... _dead._

“Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue's voice called from a side street as he was passing by, and he skidded to a halt in time to see Inoue and Chad approaching at a run.

“Inoue? Chad! You guys, what are you doing here?” Ichigo asked, sure that they should be home by now.

“We felt the hollow! We came to help!” Inoue said while Chad nodded along.

Ichigo hesitated, a hollow that could kill people at a distance like this... he didn't want any o his friends to meet something like that. He knew that they were training and getting stronger, but this was the most powerful hollow he'd ever felt the presence of and he didn't even know if he would be able to stop it, probably not in a single strike like he'd been managing with most of the hollows in Karakura lately. This was going to turn into a real fight, and Ichigo didn't know if Inoue and Chad would be able to do anything to help.

“You two... actually, I think that you should stay back, I don't know how strong this hollow's power is. If it can do this to normal people I don't want to know if it can do the same to you two. Maybe you should stay back and see if anyone survived, or keep anyone from getting closer?” Ichigo didn't know if he was any good at giving his friends orders or if they'd listen to him, but he definitely didn't want them dying like everyone else he could see scattered around in the street.

Ichigo's job was to protect them, he didn't want to see what would happen if he failed. He'd done enough of that in the past that he was desperate to keep his friends safe now, and even though it looked like Chad was about to argue Inoue nodded to him and pulled on Chad's sleeve and then they were turning away to look closer at some of the people that had collapsed. Ichigo turned away just as the flicker of light sprang up from Inoue summoning her spirits.

When he finally entered the park it was to a sight that he never would have expected, and one that nearly stopped his heart. Two hollows, they had to be because they had what looked like pieces of masks on their heads even if they were human sized and shaped and wearing some kind of semi-matching white clothing, were at the center of the abominable reiatsu and the only person still standing in the whole park was Tatsuki. His _friend_ , in her karate gi, struggling to stay standing and raise her fists with a look of fury on her face even while she was clearly sweating from the strain of staying on her feet. All around her were several other members of her karate team, and Ichigo knew that they had to be dead already. She must have seen exactly what had happened to them, but she was still trying to stand and fight the monsters that killed her friends. Ichigo must have come in on an exchange of words, because the bigger hollow was still talking.

“Then you're not really stronger than the rest of these gnats? Get out of the way!” The bigger hollow roared as his massive fist swung toward Tatsuki.

Ichigo lunged forward, catching the fist on his blade as he stood in front of his friend. There wasn't even a mark on the giant's fist, not even a dent in the skin where it pressed against his blade, and Ichigo's arm was near to shaking with the effort of holding the fist back. Behind him, Tatsuki swayed and stumbled, but he heard her breathe in sharply in shock.

“I- Ichigo?” She asked, weaker than Ichigo had ever heard her. “Who are those guys? What are they? They killed Miyahara and Kudo...” She was breathless and sounded like she wasn't completely focused on what was happening around her.

“They killed everyone!” Tatsuki's shout was accompanied by her falling to her knees and Ichigo was too distracted by looking over his shoulder at her to notice the kick coming.

The hollow kicked him in the side and sent him flying until he crashed into a tree, knocking the wind out of him for a moment. Sliding to the ground, Ichigo looked on almost helplessly as the hollow pulled back his fist to hit his friend again, only to be shocked by the suddenly rising reiatsu he felt coming from Tatsuki. Ichigo knew that he was terrible at sensing reiatsu but he was sure he would have noticed something like this before, he hadn't even thought that she could see him but she had just a second ago been talking to him so he realized that she must have been able to for at least a while now.

With no idea what was going on Ichigo watched in shock as Tatsuki stood up and her suddenly visible red reiatsu gathered in closer around her. It looked like _flames_ , like she was actually wreathed in _fire_ , and as the hollow's fist descended toward her she fell into a familiar stance instinctively. Ichigo watched, frozen, as she dodged the punch by a hair and turned around his arm before she struck the hollow's center with her own counterattack. The reiatsu around her seemed to funnel down her arm and struck the hollow in a burst of fire that followed her fist, burning away the open edges of the coat he was wearing and as he took a step back with wide eyes Ichigo could see that the black scorch marks on his skin were streaked away from a cracked red patch of skin in the middle of Tatsuki's landed punch.

“You little bug! What the hell was that?” The hollow roared and backhanded Tatsuki before she could dodge.

Ichigo tried to get up, his friend was flying through the air and crashing into a tree, her fiery reiatsu cushioning her fall but flickering out as she landed on the dirt. He couldn't move. Terror flooded him as he realized that he was frozen where he still sat at the bottom of the tree, watching as the hollow drew a sword that he wore at his hip.

“I'm gonna cut you down and eat your soul you stupid bug!” The big hollow roared as he raised his sword over his head and approached Tatsuki.

Ichigo tried to tell himself to move, but the voice ringing in his head kept him frozen in place. Taking in the scene before him, the two hollows with masks that didn't cover their face and wearing _swords_ , Ichigo couldn't help but draw several comparisons. Hollow mask and zanpakutō.

 _'Is this what I am?'_ Ichigo asked himself helplessly.

 _'Is this what Hirako is?'_ It felt hopeless, the darkness creeping up on him was driving him downward in a spiral of twisted thoughts.

 _'The masked army. Visored. Masks and swords together and with this immense power.'_ Ichigo couldn't help the following train of thought.

 _'Are they his? Did Hirako send them to do this? Is it another warning?'_ Ichigo's dark thoughts offered up as an explanation, one that made him despair.

 _'Am I going to become one of these monsters?'_ Ichigo didn't know what was happening to him, but he was suddenly terrified.

 _'Don't you want to?'_ Asked the voice calling to him from within.

 _'No.'_ Ichgo thought with a heavy heartbeat accompanying the silent word. _'No...'_ He almost sobbed as the darkness crept over his vision and the sight of the hollow's sword descending toward his friend faded from view.

A flash of blonde and the glint of sunlight on steel ripped the darkness away. Ichigo's vision swam through the shadows as he took in the sight of Hirako's sword blocking the hollow's own in its decent toward his friend. Ichigo would have breathed a sigh of relief except he was still just slowly coming back to himself, the voice inside him slowly receding as it grumbled discontentedly but subsided for some reason anyway. Hirako hadn't sent them then, they weren't the same... Ichigo was so relieved that he didn't realize the smaller hollow was looking at him. Instead he was wondering why he'd thought that the two hollows were Visored... he didn't know where that thought had come from and it bothered him.

While Ichigo struggled to pull himself together he could only watch as Hirako swept his blade along the bigger hollow's arm and kicked him in the face as he flipped over the hollow's shoulder. He was shocked to see Hirako come to a stop, standing upside-down in the air, as the hollow turned to follow the new target.

“These bugs keep crawling out of the woods! Ulquiorra is this one of the ones that's strong?” The big hollow hollered.

Out of the corner of his eye Ichigo could see the smaller hollow still standing by the edge of a crater in the ground. The hollow, Ulquiorra, agreed that Hirako was strong but his eyes were watching Ichigo himself. Ichigo didn't know why the hollow was looking at him, but it didn't seem like he was about to attack so Ichigo's eyes were drawn back to the fight. Hirako was faster than the hollow, but he didn't seem to be landing very many hits anyway, at least nothing that really left a mark. Besides cutting through fabric the worst injury the hollow had was still the red burn on his stomach from where Tatsuki had punched him.

Ichigo could slowly feel himself regaining the use of his arms and legs, and he wished that it would hurry up already because he needed to get up and fight. He needed to help Hirako, there was no way that Ichigo could just sit here and _watch_ while Hirako got hurt or _worse_. Still, somehow Ichigo was shocked when Hirako pulled his hollow mask over his face and struck again, and this time his zanpakutō actually cut deeply enough that it severed the hollow's right arm at the shoulder. Blinking in surprise while the hollow yelled and raged, and Hirako's mask cracked and dissolved away, Ichigo made it to his feet and finally tightened his grip on his sword and managed to step up beside Hirako.

“What took you so long?” Hirako asked, a knowing look on his face as he looked at Ichigo out of the corner of his eyes, most of his attention still focused on the hollow in front of them.

“I'm fine! Let's just get rid of this guy already!” Ichigo insisted, absolutely in no mood to talk right now about the hollow inside himself.

Ichigo turned back to face the two hollows, ready to try cutting down the larger one himself now, just as the hollow was grabbing up his sword in his left hand from where it had fallen to the ground in the grip of his now severed right arm.

“You're going to pay for that you cockroach!” The hollow roared as he raised his sword overhead, but before Ichigo could block the descending blade the smaller hollow had appeared between them.

“Yammy, that's enough.” Ulquiorra said as the blade slammed into the dirt beside his shoes. “You're right, there's nothing here but bugs. We're going back to report to Aizen-sama that this is a waste of time.”

Ulquiorra delivered these words completely monotonously, his large green eyes still staring at Ichigo, before he turned and walked around Yammy and the air behind them split open like individual fence boards rising into the air one at a time.

“Are you joking? This bastard just cut off my arm! I'm gonna kill them!” Yammy argued.

“Don't bother, it was your own fault for not paying better attention. We're leaving _now_.” Ulquiorra insisted, already stepping into the rift without a backwards glance.

“Tch. Damnit!” Yammy growled, but he followed after Ulquiorra, and Ichigo stared in shock as they disappeared and the hole in the air closed.

“Well, that ended better than I expected.” Hirako said as he sheathed his own zanpakutō and stood straighter.

Ichigo was left feeling as though he'd both failed and misunderstood something, but he didn't really know how to express that feeling so he just shook himself and threw his own zanpakutō back over his shoulder to rest. Hastily, he turned and raced over to where Tatsuki had fallen to the ground and was relieved to find that she was still breathing, even though she had been hit by Yammy it looked like she didn't have any new scrapes or bruises. Her reiatsu must have somehow reinforced her skin, or cushioned her enough somehow, enough to protect her from Yammy's strength. Ichigo didn't know how to explain it even to himself, but the only thing that he could think of was that she must be like Inoue and Chad. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed before now that she had developed strange powers too.

“They killed everyone.” Tatsuki said suddenly, and Ichigo was surprised to see that she was still awake and staring past him at several bodies on the ground.

They were the ones wearing the same white karate gi as she was and it really hit Ichigo this time that they must have been her teammates from the karate team at school. Damn, there were five members of the team over there, she'd just lost a lot of friends. Ichigo was still having a hard time processing all of the dead bodies he had passed on his way to the park, but they were right at the epicenter here, there was no way that anyone in the park was still alive unless they had at least as much reiatsu as Tatsuki, Inoue and Chad did. It was in serious doubt just how many people Ichigo knew were at that level now, but in the whole town? Ichigo didn't think there were that many.

“Ichigo... what's going on? What were those guys... what are you?” Tatsuki muttered as her eyes drifted closed and she blinked stubbornly, trying to stay awake.

“Ah... you should talk to Inoue when you're feeling better...” Ichigo hedged, not sure how to explain right now, and anyway, she needed to rest after everything that just happened so he couldn't just start explaining everything.

Besides, Tatsuki and Inoue were closer friends, they'd know how to talk to each other. First Karin and now Tatsuki, Ichigo hadn't expected so many people to confront him today. With a sigh Ichigo lifted up Tatsuki in his arms after she finally passed out, determined to carry her back to where he'd left Inoue looking after everyone in the street. Just in case Tatsuki needed healing anyway, even though she didn't look as bad as Ichigo had worried she would.

“So... you reconsidering yet?” Hirako asked as they walked out of the park side by side.

Ichigo scowled down at the injured friend he held in his arms. He didn't want to get involved with Hirako's group, it still sounded shifty and like something that his soul reaper friends wouldn't like, but the way he'd been completely locked up when someone needed him was proof enough that he couldn't handle it on his own. Then there were those two hollows, who looked like they had the same combination of powers as Hirako did, who were so powerful that Hirako hadn't looked like he could beat them easily.

The Visoreds could control themselves, they could show him how to control his own power, and Ichigo knew that if there was one thing he was lacking it was control over what he could do. All of his training so far, with Getaboshi and Yoruichi-san and Old Man Zangetsu had all been about getting better control of what he had and what he could do. This wouldn't really be any different, at least it didn't have to be. Ichigo needed to be in better control, in control at all, of the hollow inside himself. He needed that, because if those two hollows were sent here by Aizen then who knew what else the traitor soul reaper captain would send to Karakura Town. Ichigo had to be ready, he needed to be able to protect everyone, and if this was the only way to do it than that would just have to be a good enough reason. He just hoped that he wasn't going to lose more than he gained here, he just had to believe that his soulmate wasn't going to drag him into another revenge scheme against all of his friends in the Gotei. It was pessimistic, but somehow Ichigo had a feeling that his luck wasn't that good.

“Alright.” Ichigo finally admitted to both Hirako and himself, still staring down at the friend who needed him, who he hadn't been strong enough to protect. “I'll train with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extrapolating from the figure I found online of how many students attend a single Japanese high school (1000 to 1200) and the total number of souls needed to form an Oken (100,000), which needs the population of Karakura town AKA the jureichi so if that's about the population of Karakura, then with Ichigo and all of the classmates he has who are at least spiritually aware enough to see ghosts at all (Ichigo, Uryuu, Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, Chizuru, Mizuiro and Keigo), so 8 people out of 1000, then there would be about 800 people in Karakura Town with enough spiritual awareness to at the very least see ghosts. Given that in canon Tatsuki has no powers but can see ghosts and that her sight was enough to allow her to survive Yammy's attempts to suck out everyone's souls, there are probably at least a few other people in the park and surrounding streets who survived the attack. And after all, it can't JUST be because they are close to Ichigo that they are spiritually aware, because Karakura is the Jureichi which means that there are the most spiritual beings there, but given that there was supposedly ALWAYS a Jureichi and it's not JUST because Urahara and the Visoreds moved there, there have to be more aware people or other spirit beings there too...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't think I named the park from last chapter, but the map of Karakura Town lists three parks. I don't recall if the manga or anime named the park either, so I just picked one.  
> And once again this is a scene that actually happened in the manga, but I tried not to copy any actual lines, writing it in my own words and adding as many changes as I possibly could... because yeah... So enjoy and thanks for all the past and future comments! :D

Ichigo knew that he should probably say something, after what happened yesterday and the way that he'd avoided explaining himself to Tatsuki by passing her off to Inoue instead he knew that he should stop acting like a coward but he just didn't know how to broach the subject now. Entering the classroom and seeing her sitting there, in her desk already instead of talking to Inoue and Chizuru and just staring out the window on her left, he just didn't know what he could say right now. It wasn't just about him and his powers, or why she could see ghosts, it was about the way she'd lost friends yesterday. He didn't know how to get in the middle of that.

Instead of doing or saying anything, Ichigo guiltily looked away and sat down at his own desk, while Hirako made his way down the next row and took his seat as well. The blonde hadn't bothered with pestering him since they'd run into each other in the hallway earlier, and Ichigo was glad of that. He was also relieved that the gossip that had followed them both yesterday had been overshadowed by the disaster that had happened yesterday at the park, not even their fight with those thugs after school had been mentioned because everyone was too busy exchanging stories they'd heard about the park.

Ichigo propped his chin on one hand, staring ahead and waiting for class to start, he wasn't sure how much attention he'd be able to pay because after school he was going to have to explain to Karin just what had happened. He knew that he should have told her yesterday, but after getting Tatsuki to Inoue and then going back to Getaboshi's place to ask about just who the Hell he'd been fighting it had gotten late and he'd found one excuse after another to avoid Karin's questions. Now he knew that he was going to have to explain himself though, and he was regretting not doing so earlier because she was probably going to be hearing about what happened at the park in school, and he'd have to assuage her worries about it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden feeling of familiar reiatsu, and Ichigo jolted in his seat. He wasn't the best at sensing, but he'd spent enough time around them while he was in soul society to recognize the five people walking down the hallway. Renji, Toshiro, Rangiku, Ikkaku and Yumichika, they were actually here at his school. Ichigo panicked a bit, looking aside at Hirako and wondering if he could sense them too. Hirako was probably better at sensing than he was, it seemed like everyone was better at sensing then he was, but he didn't know if Hirako knew any of the soul reapers that were coming toward them. If he recognized them, or they recognized him, Ichigo had no idea what would happen. If they would attack each other or if Hirako would be reported to someone or something like that, Ichigo didn't know what to do.

“Hey, Hirako... do you-” Ichigo started, hesitantly, wondering if there was any way to avoid this.

“Uh, maybe you should leave?” Ichigo whispered, wide eyed and glancing at the wall that he thought he could feel his friends on the other side of.

Hirako glanced aside at him, quirking one eyebrow and following Ichigo's gaze to the wall. He smirked when he looked back at Ichigo, and then reclined in his chair as though he was perfectly comfortable.

“Are you asking me to skip class? I haven't even been here a week, you'll ruin my perfect attendance record.” Hirako joked, apparently unconcerned even though Ichigo was sure that he had noticed the soul reapers approaching.

It threw into question everything that Ichigo thought he knew about Hirako's Visored affiliation and he could only look back and forth between Hirako and the door, fidgeting in his seat uncomfortably as he waited for the catastrophe. He just couldn't do it.

“Come on, if they see you... aren't you-” Ichigo tried again, only to be cut off.

His words were interrupted by the slide and slam of the classroom door opening carelessly, and he looked around in shock, trying to hide his sudden feelings of guilt. He hadn't actually done anything, it was Hirako who had a problem with soul reapers, not him. Standing in the doorway of classroom 1-3 were five familiar people, in five familiar uniforms, that nevertheless were nearly unrecognizable when combined. Ichigo had no idea why the Hell they were wearing school uniforms, and frankly he didn't want to ask.

“Hey Ichigo! What's up?” Renji called over the sudden silence in the room while everyone turned to stare at him and his companions.

“What the Hell?” Ichigo asked blankly, wishing this was a dream he could wake up from.

“We gotta talk man! Let's go!” Renji continued, and Ichigo really wanted to know why this couldn't have happened anywhere but at school.

“I can't _leave!_ I've got class. What's going on? What are you guys doing here?” Ichigo asked as the group approached his desk.

Damn, they were coming closer, there was no way they hadn't noticed Hirako, sitting right there and obviously watching them approach. They had to have noticed that he had way more than above average reiatsu, there was no way a captain and two lieutenants hadn't noticed!

“We were sent here as an advance team, after the attack that was registered yesterday we were given a mission to protect District 3600 from any more Arrancars that might attack.” Tōshirō explained coolly from the front of the group.

“Then what are you doing here?” Ichigo asked, because he was pretty sure that the Ara-whatevers weren't anywhere near his school.

“Well we heard you didn't do so good in that fight yesterday, so we figured we'd come help ya' train some more!” Ikkaku added with a grin, apparently looking forward to fighting him again.

Ichigo didn't know what to say about that, if they were going to be after him for training then Ichigo didn't know how he'd be able to get away to train with Hirako and the Visoreds. He didn't even know where they'd be training, or how. Unless they had somewhere secret the soul reapers would probably sense him training and come to investigate, he could be leading them right to Hirako and his friends. If they found out that Ichigo was training with their enemies... not that he really understood what the bad blood between them was... then Ichigo could be in a lot of trouble, and Hirako could be in even worse! Ichigo didn't know how he was supposed to decline though, he had no idea how he could get away with telling Ikkaku that he _didn't want to fight!_ That wouldn't even be possible, Ikkaku would probably start chasing him around with his sword like Getaboshi had done when _they'd_ started training.

“What? Come on, aren't you in charge here Tōshirō? This isn't the time or place for this conversation!” Ichigo complained quickly, trying to just sidestep the whole issue for now, maybe Hirako could figure something out later.

“That's Captain Hitsugaya!” Tōshirō demanded, “and she insisted that this was the best place to find you.”

“She?” Ichigo asked just as the window slid open and Rukia hopped into the room.

“Rukia?”

“Isn't she that transfer student that disappeared before the summer?”

“Why'd she come in through the window?”

“ _How_ did she come in through the window?”

The gossip all around them picked up again while Rukia ignored the classroom and came to stand over him, with a smirk.

“Long time no see, Ichigo!” Rukia lied. “I heard you were getting in trouble so I figured we had some work to do!”

“And you thought _this_ was the best time to announce it? Didn't you learn anything at all the last time you were here? Why is it so impossible for you to blend in?” Ichigo bemoaned as he gave in and thunked his head on his desk, still hearing the other students around him pointing out his friends hair color and clothing.

Maybe it was because they were used to being ghosts, but why a gigai in the living world was different than a regular day in Seireitei Ichigo didn't know. He wondered briefly if any of them had even registered any of the other students gossiping, it was strange to think that Ikkaku actually hadn't noticed several people calling him 'baldy' yet. Ichigo really didn't want to think that they just hadn't expected anyone in the room to notice them or something, that was ridiculous... right?

“That red hair is worse than Kurosaki's.”

“That other guy with the sword doesn't even have hair.”

“The baldy looks dangerous though, why'd he even bring the sword?”

“Alright who just called me 'baldy'?” Ikkaku asked with a vein throbbing in his forehead as he turned to the crowd.

Ichigo was actually surprised that he'd finally noticed. Surprised, relieved, and now a bit terrified because Ikkaku looked ready for a fight. Before Ichigo could do anything about it though, Yumichika cut in.

“Ignore them, Ikkaku, they're just children.” Yumichika said as he ran a hand through his hair for no apparent reason.

“Why did that guy pin up his pant legs?”

“And what's with the feathers?”

“Do you think he'd just rather wear the girls uniform?”

“Well that's not beautiful at all!” Yumichika gasped, turning to follow Ikkaku in his march toward the students.

Well there went the voice of reason, Ichigo should have known better than to pin his hopes on another member of the eleventh.

“I thought the uniforms were supposed to make us blend in?” Rangiku pouted, looking down at the tight clothes that she was wearing.

“You sure do! You look just like a naughty schoolgirl!” Keigo called as he lept into the conversation, getting way too close to Rangiku.

“Back off Keigo! She doesn't want you drooling all over her gorgeous, voluptuous chest!” Chizuru snapped at him as she raised a fist to shake at him.

“Like she wants you pawing at her like Inoue?” Keigo whined before they, apparently on the same page for one horrifying moment, jointly turned to lunge at Rangiku.

Ichigo really wanted to say something here, but he couldn't sort out the mess in his head in time to head off Rangiku's counter-attack. Instead he watched helplessly while Rangiku dodged all four of their hands and got between them, snapping both fists in a weird move that knocked them both for a loop and sent them sprawling to the floor on either side of her. Blinking at the scene in shock and honestly a little fear for his classmates safety, Ichigo turned to the only possible voice of reason.

“Seriously, can't you do something about this? I thought you were the reasonable one Tōshirō!” Ichigo asked from about equal height with his chin still resting on his desk.

“Call me Captain Hitsugaya!” Tōshirō almost shouted, before he turned his scowl on the rest of his team.

“Hey, I didn't do anything!” Renji complained, while the rest grumbled but fell back in line.

“We just need to make sure you're aware of the situation anyway.” Tōshirō said with his arms crossed and a scowl still hiding his feelings as he returned his attention to Ichigo.

At this point, of course, Hirako decided to throw any negligible caution that Ichigo had hoped he'd possessed to the wind and cut into the conversation. Seriously, after that display of careless disregard for anything that made sense, how Hirako thought that getting involved was a good idea was a mystery to Ichigo. Grin firmly in place and still relaxed in his chair, he locked onto the so far most consistently easy to upset member of the group to start teasing.

“Well _Captain_ Hitsugaya, I think he gets the idea, but using the tragedy that occurred at the park yesterday for your make-believe games is really in poor taste. Didn't anyone ever teach you proper manners?” Hirako said mockingly.

Ichigo wanted to bang his head on the desk again but he couldn't look away from the impending train wreck. The soul reapers around him suddenly all turned their attention to the desk beside Ichigo's, and the grinning idiot seated there instead of the still muttering classmates all around them.

“Game?” Rangiku was fighting a smile as she glanced back at her captain after Hirako's words, Tōshirō was gritting his teeth at the rude way Hirako had called him Captain.

“Yeah, a lot of people died, it's not right to make fun of that. Anyway, Kurosaki's right, class is about to start, so go play your make-believe war games somewhere else.” Hirako continued without a moment's pause.

“Who is this guy Ichigo?” Rukia was blinking in shock at someone actually interrupting their conversation, weird, like she hadn't expected anyone in the room to get involved or something.

Ichigo didn't know how to respond, because he had no idea to what extent Hirako's grudge with soul reapers was known to his friends. Eventually Ichigo shrugged helplessly in answer to Rukia's question, having no idea whether it was safe to give out Hirako's name.

“Well whoever he is I think he needs to mind his own business!” Ikkaku was pulling the wooden sword out of his belt despite Yumichika's restraining hand on his arm.

Before the situation could get any more out of hand the bell rang and Ochi-sensei strolled into the room. Ichigo didn't know whether he was relieved or more worried, because he doubted that any of his friends were going to take Ochi-sensei seriously, and they were liable to say something to her that would make her question him or think he was crazy. With a frown at all of the students still milling about instead of in their seats, Ochi-sensei easily followed the whispers and guilty looks to his desk and the crowd of strange people surrounding him.

“Kurosaki! Who're your friends?” She asked as she approached and got everyone's attention.

“Uh... Tōshirō?” Ichigo didn't know how to introduce them, as Tōshirō and everyone else turned to take in the only adult human in the room.

“Hey... you aren't students here! What are you doing in those uniforms?” Ochi-sensei asked with a frown, before squinting and leaning down a bit to scrutinize Toshiro more closely “and shouldn't you be over in the junior high school?”

“My name is _Captain Hitsugaya!_ ” Tōshirō said more loudly, apparently taking the misnaming more seriously than anything else.

Any other time that would have been funny but right now Ichigo could only groan as he watched Ochi-sensei snap her workbook against the top of Tōshirō's head indulgently as she followed in the same vein as Hirako and spoke condescendingly to him.

“Well _captain_ , you'd better take your troops and march to wherever you're really supposed to be because you don't belong here! I've got a class to teach and your disrupting it!” Ochi-sensei said as she steered a protesting Tōshirō back down the row of desks toward the door, with the rest of the soul reapers following along like bewildered ducks.

“See ya' after school Ichigo!” Ikkaku called as he waved his wooden sword like a lunatic, much to the consternation of the whole room.

Ichigo watched as Tōshirō got out of Ochi-sensei's hold and nearly stomped out of the room, Rankiku giggling and already teasing him and Yumichika pulling Ikkaku and Renji along behind them. Rukia was halfway out the door behind them when she was yanked back into the room.

“Oh no you don't!” Ochi-sensei said with a hand suddenly gripping Rukia's shoulder. “You've missed enough classes young lady! Find an open seat and get ready to learn!”

Rukia gaped at the teacher while the rest of her team beat a hasty retreat, most of them grinning and winking at her in good humor as they went on their way, escaping down the empty hall while Ochi-sensei slid the door closed and gestured Rukia toward the back of the room. Appearing confused, Rukia wandered back toward an empty desk, and Ichigo just shrugged helplessly again as she passed by him.

“Hey, what happened to Honsho? Inoue, take her to the nurse!” Ochi-sensei said suddenly, noticing Honsho and Asano still sprawled out on the floor almost as an afterthought.

Ichigo avoided Mizuiro's look as he dragged Keigo out the door following Inoue and Chizuru. Ochi-sensei didn't say anything about it but Ichigo assumed it was because she was too used to Keigo's antics to take him seriously, when she knew that Mizuiro would keep track of his ridiculous friend for her.

“Okay class, in your seats! Now that those scary intruders are gone it's time for an announcement!” Ochi-sensei said with a wave of her workbook from where she now stood behind her desk.

“As you have probably all heard by now, there was an accident in Karakura Community Park yesterday afternoon. The police and other emergency responders have finally released a statement that a pocket of naturally occurring poisonous gas was uncovered in the middle of the park by an object, possibly a small meteorite, falling and creating a small crater. Instead of sparking and combusting, the gas bled out into the surrounding area and mixed with the breathable air in a high enough concentration to be fatally poisonous to anyone breathing it for more than a moment or two. There was enough gas in the underground pocket that several surrounding streets were also effected, but after a few minutes the gas spread thinly enough and was blown away by the wind so the area has been officially declared safe again.” Ochi-sensei explained, reading from a page tucked into her workbook.

Ichigo felt terrible, even though there wasn't anything he could have done. Most of those people were already dead before he'd even gotten to the park, they'd probably died before he'd even left his bedroom, in the first moments when he and Karin had felt that intense reiatsu. He still didn't know why those two hollows had even come, or what exactly had been a waste of their time.

“So far, the death toll is up to 384, and not everyone has been accounted for yet so if anyone knows of someone missing or someone who lives in the area who hasn't been in contact please share that information with a teacher here at the school or with the police. There are also three known survivors, who's names will not be shared at this time, two of whom are recovering at Karakura General Hospital.” Ochi-sensei looked up at the room to see how the students were doing before she continued.

“As some of you may know, several members of this school's tournament winning Karate Team was practicing in the park at the time and were unfortunately lost in this tragedy, so please be respectful of your fellow students who may be grieving.” Ochi-sensei concluded. “If anyone is upset by this horrible accident and needs to see the school councilors their doors are always open, so don't be shy! Now does anyone have any questions?”

The room was silent, everyone too nervous to say a word, so Ochi-sensei set aside the page she was reading from and started the lesson. Ichigo turned his head to look back at Tatsuki, but she was still turned away and looking out the window. He looked around slowly at the rest of his friends who all shifted uncomfortably, also having gotten a look at Tatsuki and at least knowing that she'd lost several friends, even if only Chad and Inoue knew that she had been there when they'd died.

With a sigh Ichigo pulled out a textbook and opened it to the page Ochi-sensei announced, trying to refocus his mind on mundane schoolwork instead of the Visored and possible soulmate beside him, the soul reaper behind him, and the enemies of hidden strength and numbers that he wasn't prepared to fight yet. He was hoping the day would get better, instead of worse, but knowing that he still had to explain himself to Karin and sort out this training mess was enough to make him pessimistic.

As he was following along with the passage that Ochi-sensei was reading a sheet of paper fluttered through the air and landed on the book he was staring down at. Ichigo blinked, and blinked again at the sketch of chibi Tōshirō with an angry face and a word bubble announcing “CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA!!!” while several much larger figures around him were drawn in a regular style, though with exaggerated features to depict the rest of his friends. Renji's hair was spiked twice as big and his face was almost entirely obscured by tattoos, Ikkakku's head gleamed like a lightbulb while he waved his sword above his head, Rangiku looked like she was flirting with an indistinct shape that was probably another student, and Yumichika looked like he was painting his fingernails.

Ichigo blinked a third time, he didn't know if it was funny or not. He'd had the same feeling yesterday, when he hadn't been sure if Hirako was threatening his family or not. Something about Hirako just didn't compute, he was doing things that were 'supposed to be' funny, but Ichigo _knew_ that he had ulterior motives so it was confusing that he would even bother now that Ichigo knew what he wanted and had even tentatively agreed. Hirako _had_ said that he was still at school because he hadn't given up on convincing Ichigo to join the Visoreds, but Ichigo had agreed to train with them and yet Hirako was here _again_ the next day.

 _'Why is he still here?'_ Ichigo was asking himself, while at the same time wondering _'is it the soulbond? Does he feel something?'_ If that was the reason for why Hirako was staying so close, or why he was so determined, then maybe he was just as confused as Ichigo was.

The drawing then, it might actually just be an innocent joke. Ichigo slid the loose sheet of paper off the page of his book with one finger, and glanced carefully aside at Hirako, who was looking back at him completely innocently and apparently waiting for some kind of reaction. Ichigo smiled weakly and hid the drawing under his notebook, unsure of himself and trying harder than ever to just focus on Ochi-sensei's lecture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so if eight of the 1000 students of Karakura High School are spiritually aware (Ichigo and his friends) then by the same rate there are 800 people out of the 100,000 people in Karakura Town that are spiritually aware. And if 8/1000 is 0.8 percent, then for there to be three survivors (the two in the hospital and Tatsuki) there has to have been at least 375 people within the vicinity of Yammy's 'soul suck' attack thing... yikes. I feel like Aizen should be mad about this? I mean, those souls were supposed to be fuel for the Oken...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... sorry for the delay...
> 
> the spacing is a little different... I'll fix it later, busy today.

From one lesson to another Ichigo remained unfocused throughout the day. Even just making it to the lunch break felt as though it took forever, and Ichigo hastily avoided Rukia's attempt to speak with him by grabbing Hirako's arm and dragging him from the room without looking back, while Rukia was cut off from following them by all of the students milling around the room between them.

“Hey! Ichigo!” Rukia called anyway, and Ichigo heard her mutter to herself “what's that about?”

“Oh! You haven't met the new student! We can explain during lunch!” Inoue offered as she pulled Rukia into their usual group as they were going to the rooftop again.

“Oh, gossip? This better be good!” Rukia exclaimed as she followed willingly along.

Ichigo didn't look back, he didn't want to know what kind of sinister curiosity had probably taken over Rukia, she was just the sort to enjoy the gossip even if she wasn't as likely to believe it without asking him for confirmation first. Hirako went along with Ichigo's determination to reach the door willingly, although Ichigo heard several snickers and giggles as they finally stepped through the door and Ichigo realized that he was making a habit of grabbing Hirako in front of people and leading him around places. Fighting down a blush born of both embarrassment and anger at what his classmates were probably whispering about now, Ichigo kept his grip firm anyway and led Hirako down a floor to a bathroom that he knew wasn't used as often by students.

Finally releasing Hirako once he was sure that the bathroom was really empty, Ichigo turned and locked the door before facing Hirako properly. He should have expected something like this but he still felt embarrassed when he turned to see Hirako leaning against one of the metal walls around the line of stalls, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk hiding laughter on his face.

“Take this seriously! They're soul reapers, aren't you going to be in trouble if they realize who you are or something?” Ichigo asked, disbelieving of Hirako's nonchalance.

“Well that depends, but I doubt they'll notice, didn't seem like the brightest bunch. That captain is probably the most aware and he was too distracted by respect for name and rank to notice any strange reiatsu, besides, aren't your reaper friends used to strangely powered humans showing up around you by now?” Hirako waved off Ichigo's worries, straightening up and sliding his hands into his pockets.

“Now if you keep dragging me out of the room every time they show up they might start wondering what's so secret, but if you can learn to keep your hands to yourself then we shouldn't have a problem.” Hirako continued, striding across the space between them and leaning over him closer than personal space should allow.

“I- you-” Ichigo stammered, leaning back slightly with his face coloring again.

Ichigo didn't know how to take in the mixed signals. He should stop touching Hirako, but Hirako was getting this close to him and Ichigo couldn't help wondering if it was some kind of hint about their being soulmates. He didn't know how to articulate his questions though, with Hirako leaning in so close he felt completely overwhelmed.

“So, now that you're ready to join us, you're going to have to get rid of these soul reaper friends of yours.” Hirako said calmly, and _that_ cleared up Ichigo's confusion.

“What? No! I'm not killing anyone for you!” Ichigo snapped, stepping back a step and slamming into the door he'd forgotten was behind him while Hirako blinked at him.

“Who said killing? You're gonna have to have a good excuse to ditch them after school since they want to train with you. They won't find where we'll be training, not on their own, but if they follow you there we'll have a problem.” Hirako explained, much to Ichigo's further confusion.

Why, _why_ did he keep getting the wrong idea? _Why_ did Hirako keep saying and doing things that sounded like threats when his explanations always sounded reasonable or were delivered in a way that made it clear that he didn't see what the problem was? It just didn't make any sense! It was driving Ichigo crazy, just trying to figure out what Hirako really meant with any given sentence.

“R-right...” Ichigo laughed weakly at his mistake. “I, actually I don't think that I'll be able to put them off today, that could make them ask questions... and there's something else that I need to do. I was supposed to take care of it yesterday but things got out of hand and...”

Hirako looked distinctly unimpressed with his excuses, but Ichigo soldiered on because he really couldn't keep putting off this talk with Karin, and he had to at least hear Tōshirō and Rukia out or they'd keep hounding him until he gave them time. He didn't want to prolong his suffering in that quarter, who knows what kind of punishment he'd face if Rukia didn't get her way? He really didn't want another permanent marker mustache, but hours of bunny art explanations weren't much better, it would be best to just get it over with.

“Look, I said I'll train with you and I will! I just need to clear some things up first, it shouldn't take more than a day or two!” Ichigo insisted, not liking the idea that Hirako might think he was going back on his decision because he'd already told Hirako he would do it and he didn't like being seen as someone who would change his mind once he'd made it up.

“Okay.” Hirako said after observing him for a moment. “It's the end of the week anyway, so we'll have a whole day to get started if you come by on Sunday, just get everything cleared up by Sunday morning.”

“Right. I can do that.” Ichigo sure hoped that was the truth, he had to talk to Tōshirō and everyone right away, assuming that he could find them and they weren't going to just spring their training on him.

Lunch was awkward after that, Ichigo spending most of the time mediating between Hirako and Rukia. Apparently Hirako decided to continue his teasing of Rukia, the soul reaper who didn't know that he knew what she was, and Rukia seemed to dislike Hirako more and more as the lunch progressed. Ichigo was at his wits end by the time they just got back to class and he still had half a day of Hirako snickering beside him and feeling Rukia glaring at them both from the back of the room. Since he couldn't focus on what Ochi-sensei was saying anyway he tried to use the time to think up excuses to escape training with the soul reapers. He briefly considered if Getaboshi could help, before realizing that the man would either be just as interested in where he'd be training instead or want to train Ichigo some more himself and thus need another excuse from Ichigo to escape. He really didn't want to have Ikkaku and Getaboshi fighting over who got to chase him around with a sword.

He was still thinking about what to say and how to convince Rukia that he could train by himself or something when he arrived home, and was immediately greeted by a scowling little sister who had apparently cut class to get home early and confront him. Ichigo froze like a deer in the doorway, before slipping off his shoes and coming farther into the house.

“Karin. Hey...” Ichigo trailed off under her stare.

“You said you would explain!” Karin insisted, still scowling. “The teacher at school said there was some kind of gas leak, that's not what happened is it? You were there, weren't you?”

“Yeah.” There was no point in denying it when he had already agreed to explain what was going on. “You said you knew I was a ghost, well that's not really true, but obviously you know that I can leave my body because you saw that yesterday.”

“I'm actually working as a soul reaper, not a real one because they _are_ ghosts, but I learned how to separate my soul from my body so I guess technically sometimes I'm a ghost even though I'm still alive.” Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, he'd never really had to explain this before, because when Inoue and Chad had found out about him Getaboshi had explained and then they'd gone to soul society immediately so there wasn't really time for questions.

“A soul reaper? You fight those big monster ghosts though, right?” Karin asked, and Ichigo remembered when he'd first met Kon and how Kon had fought a hollow on the grounds of the junior high school that Karin attended, but he hadn't thought that Karin had actually _seen_ the hollow.

“Yeah, those are called hollows, soul reapers have to cut through their masks in order to turn them back into normal ghosts and send them to where ghosts are supposed to go.” Ichigo explained carefully. “They can be dangerous for other ghosts and for living people, so that's why I've been doing it, because people I care about have been attacked by hollows before.”

Ichigo very specifically didn't say that Karin had been one of those people, that Yuzu and Isshin had too, or that their mom had been killed by a hollow. It didn't look like he hid it very well though, because Karin looked upset already.

“You mean you're protecting us, because of those monsters?” Karin asked, clearly worried.

“Well... yeah. That car crash that demolished the front of the house? That was the first time I fought a hollow, it wasn't a car at all. Most of those earthquakes and unexplained accidents on the news are hollows.” Ichigo stumbled to explain without sounding too dire, he didn't want to _scare_ Karin, but she kept asking for details and he wound up saying more than he'd wanted to.

Suddenly they both heard the front door opening behind him, and Ichigo turned to see Yuzu entering the house. Ichigo really didn't want to explain everything to her too, she still couldn't actually see ghosts and he didn't want her to be scared of invisible monsters. Turning back quickly he darted around Karin and toward the stairs.

“Ichigo? Karin why'd you run off so early, we always walk home together.” Yuzu complained in the background as Ichigo made his way upstairs.

“I just wanted to talk to Ichigo about something, hang on, we weren't finished.” Karin dismissed, already following him up the stairs.

Ichigo wanted to curse, he'd thought he had a way out of this awkward conversation but Karin wasn't going to let it go so easily. With a sigh he walked into his bedroom with Karin only a few steps behind him and approaching fast, he was completely unprepared for the four sets of eyes peeking at him from the light fixture in the ceiling or the slide of his closet opening as Rukia popped out of her hiding place.

“What? What are you doing in there?” Ichigo yelled in surprise as Rukia fluttered into the room and Ikkaku, Renji and Rangiku popped their heads out of the ceiling.

“Rukia said it would be fun!” Rangiku explained while Yumichika slid through the window and wandered over to Ikkaku who was brushing cobwebs off his shirt. Wait... the window? Yeah, Yumichika and Tōshirō were climbing in through the window, Ichigo didn't know how he'd missed that.

“How could you think hiding in that dusty attic was a good idea? You're all covered in” and here Yumichika waved both hands in the air for some reason “I don't know what! Honestly you could have just come through the window with us like civilized people.”

_'Civilized people?'_ Ichigo thought to himself blankly, wondering exactly what Yumichika's standards were.

Yumichika continued complaining about the mess, Renji and Rangiku were jumping to sit on his bed and Rukia approached him while Tōshirō just leaned against the windowsill.

“What the Hell?” Karin said from behind him as she stepped into the doorway and blinked in surprise while the soul reapers turned with a start and stared, caught by a little girl.

Well, Ichigo supposed, with Yachiru as their lieutenant Ikkaku and Yumichika were probably used to being outmaneuvered by little girls. That explained why Ikkaku just mumbled something and Yumichika shook his head with a sigh.

“Ichigo, who are these people?” Karin asked as the soul reapers quieted down.

“Hi Karin!” Rukia exclaimed first, as the only one who had actually met his sister before.

She probably thought that she could get away with a half-believable non-explanation, and it might have worked if Kon hadn't chosen that moment to leap out of hiding and jump excitedly from first Rukia's foot stomping him flat before he could hug her to Rangiku's punch for the same offense.

“Is the lion a ghost too? Yuzu can see him.” Karin said blandly as her eyes roved over the easily exposed occupants of the room.

“No, he's a soul inside a stuffed animal that sometimes inhabits my body so people don't think I'm dead when I'm not in it.” Ichigo said hopelessly, ready for full transparency at this point simply because there was no rational way to explain anything anymore.

“Ichigo?” Rukia asked hesitantly, clearly aware of how important he'd thought keeping his sisters in the dark had been.

“I think she knows enough by now, let her sit in.” Ichigo sighed as he waved away Rukia's concern and turned away from where Karin was now seated in his desk chair to focus back on Tōshirō after the several hours pause in their conversation.

Kon scraped himself up off the floor and tottered over to Karin, apparently he was still cute enough when he wasn't talking that she actually picked him up and (after looking at him from every angle with a suspicious eye) let him sit on her lap while they both turned back to the conversation.

“So what are you all doing here again? Those two hollows in the park yesterday, what did you call them?” Ichigo asked as he shut the door.

“They're called Arrancars.” Rukia said as she sat next to Renji and pulled out her notepad to start drawing.

Ichigo saw again the two figures, human-looking with hollow masks and zanpakutō, dressed in not-quite-matching white clothing. They looked so similar to Hirako with his hollow mask, and the hollow inside of himself that Ichigo was struggling against the obvious comparison. They had certainly felt as malevolent as any hollow he'd fought before, but then so did the thing inside him. There had to be a real, tangible difference between Arrancars and the Visored, Ichigo just hoped that whatever the difference was it was clear to all of his friends.

“There isn't a lot known about Arrancars.” Tōshirō cut in, forestalling Rukia's bunny art. “It's rare for a hollow to turn into an Arrancar, and no one in the Gotei 13 has ever made a study of the phenomenon. Central 46 has always outlawed experiments that combine hollow and soul reaper powers, and Arrancars fit that definition exactly.”

Most of the reapers looked grim but Rangiku tried to stay positive as she continued her captain's words. “As far as the Gotei 13 know, there haven't been that many Arrancars throughout history because they only happen when a hollow gets the bright idea to rip their mask off. Since losing their mask is the last thing a hollow wants it doesn't happen often.”

“Well, technically it's rare to see an Arrancar because they almost never appear in soul society, and even less often do they come to the living world. The Twelfth Division has hypothesized that they might actually prefer to stay in Hueco Mundo, but from what happened here yesterday Captain Kurotsuchi said that maybe they just can't get enough to eat anywhere outside of Hueco Mundo.” Renji said, though from the look on his face Ichigo thought that he was paraphrasing the crazy scientist's exact words to omit quite a bit of what he'd said.

Ichigo didn't want to know, not about Kurotsuchi's thoughts on hollow feeding, but about Arrancars he definitely needed to know more. He needed proof that he wasn't going to become one of those killers like that big guy had been, even if he did learn how to control and use his mask the way Hirako did.

“Yes, according to the sparse records in the library, there have only been three Arrancars in soul society since the Gotei 13 was founded. So it's always been assumed that they were a rare phenomenon and not worth looking into any deeper.” Tōshirō said, picking up the explanation again. “Aizen seems to have changed all of that. The Second Division has sent several teams of Onmitsukido agents after Aizen and the few who made it back described an army. It sounds like he's turning hollows into Arrancars and using them as his soldiers.”

“So that's what we'll be fighting soon, hollows with the powers of soul reapers.” Ikkaku said with a look of excitement for the upcoming battles.

“So Aizen actually has an army?” Ichigo was having a hard time believing it.

Sure, he knew that Aizen was the 'bad guy' and a traitor to the Gotei 13, but he didn't understand how the man could have built up an entire army of hollows without anyone noticing. Ichigo suddenly wondered if letting Karin stay to hear all this was such a good idea after all. Explaining that he was a soul reaper and fought the occasional hollow was a lot different than discussing armies and maybe a war. Hell, he wasn't sure if he was ready for this himself.

“That's what our intelligence says, but we have no idea of the scope. Just how large or powerful this army is, that's what we're still trying to find out, and that's why we're concerned that two of these Arrancars came _here_ yesterday. Do you know what they were after?” Tōshirō asked as he turned to look at Ichigo grimly.

“Well...” Ichigo thought back for a moment, trying to remember what the two hollows had said to each other. “I don't know why they came. The bigger one, Yammer? Just wanted to kill people. I think that the smaller one, Quorum? Had some kind of mission from Aizen, but he said something about it being a waste of time.”

“That's odd, they weren't here for long. How could they have determined that their mission was pointless so quickly?” Tōshirō wondered aloud to himself. “Unless” he said suddenly “it had something to do with something or some _one_ that they encountered right away.” Tōshirō looked squarely at Ichigo himself.

“You're the only one in District 3600 with the powers of a soul reaper who was there the day he revealed his treachery. He's had decades or more to observe all of us and learn our strengths and weaknesses, but you're an unknown quantity. They might have been sent to evaluate you.” Tōshirō explained his thoughts and Ichigo was both horrified at the thought and somehow strangely relieved that the hollow inside him had made him look weak, because if the enemy underestimated him then he'd survive longer, that was a lesson that he'd learned in soul society.

“Me?” Was the only thing that Ichigo could think to say.

“You mean that whole thing happened yesterday, all those people died, because some ghosts were after Ichigo?” Karin said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention.

Ichigo's heart plummeted as her words registered. She was right, if they were after _him_ then all of those people, 384 people had _died_ because of him. Ichigo swallowed hard, trying not to let his feelings show because he couldn't stand the thought of hearing Rukia tell him to get over it or not blame himself. He knew she would, and he knew that she was wrong.

“We don't know that Ichigo is what they were after.” Rangiku insisted, moving around the bed to approach Karin who was clutching tightly at Kon.

“Seriously? This is what happens when you let brats sit in on a meeting.” Ikkaku said dismissively.

“Shut up, baldy!” Karin yelled as she lept from the chair. “That's my brother you're talking about. Some guy you're fighting is after him? Is killing a bunch of people to get to him? Yeah, I'm going to ask questions!” Karin said as she threw Kon right at Ikkaku's face.

“Guh!” Ikkaku exclaimed as the plushie hit him and fell toward the ground. “Okay, okay, whatever.” He continued as he kicked the stuffed lion back across the room.

“Hey!” Kon shouted, “why does everyone keep throwing me around?”

“So there's some guy named Aizen, who used to work for you” Karin said as she started pacing and weaving away from Rangiku's attempt to lay a hand on her shoulder “and he's got an army of ghosts called Arrancars who are like the ghosts that cause earthquakes and stuff around here? Which for some reason he's sending after Ichigo because he thinks that Ichigo is gonna fight on your side of a war that you're all expecting to happen?”

“Well I'm not fighting for Aizen!” Ichigo squawked with certainty.

“You shouldn't be fighting at all!” Karin spun around to glare at him.

“Karin-” Ichigo started, but she continued right over his words.

“You're not that much older than me, and you wouldn't be old enough to fight in a war between living people, so why are you acting like it's a foregone conclusion that you're fighting in a ghost war?” Karin yelled up at him with tears in her eyes.

“I... I mean, I'm not just going to sit back while my friends are in danger.” Ichigo said quietly, knowing that Karin should be well aware of that aspect of himself by now.

“Well they shouldn't be your friends if they're asking you to fight a war!” Karin kept yelling as she waved a hand at the soul reapers watching her with disconcerted expressions on their faces.

Ichigo wasn't sure if they really got what she was upset about, most soul reapers were orphans or had lost most of their families, and life in soul society was a lot different from life in the living world. It felt like being back in school again, the way that the soul reapers just didn't seem to get how they appeared to everyone else in the room.

“We aren't asking. He's already involved, and if Aizen is sending his soldiers after Ichigo anyway then we're going to make sure that Ichigo is ready to fight them and win.” Tōshirō announced, stepping forward as he seemed to be fed up with listening to Karin's opinion.

Ichigo could have told him that was a bad idea but he was too surprised by Tōshirō's assessment of their 'training Ichigo' plan to speak up. Instead he winced in sympathy as Karin kicked him in the shin and yanked him closer by the collar just so she could shout in his face.

“If you get my brother hurt I'll make you pay!” Karin shoved him away and spun on her heel, running for the door.

As she shoved it open, Ichigo gaped as she tripped over Yuzu who had sprawled in the hallway beside Isshin. It looked like they'd both been eavesdropping through the door, and Yuzu looked like she was crying as she climbed to her feet and chased after Karin. Ichigo felt horrible, making both of his sisters so upset, this was exactly the sort of reason why he hadn't wanted either of them to know about what he was doing in the first place and now the situation had gotten out of hand anyway. He was about to follow after them both when he was stopped by a shocked voice.

“Captain Shiba?”

Ichigo looked back at Rangiku, who was staring through the doorway at Isshin as he picked himself up off the floor. Isshin looked as serious as Ichigo had ever seen him, and Ichigo was at a complete loss.

_'Captain?'_ Ichigo's thoughts began a kind of spiral as Isshin stepped into the room. _'Shiba?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yammy sure yammers a lot. Whereas Ulquiorra often has a valid point and gets the last word. :D
> 
> Next Update: January 18, 2021 (two months... sorry...)


	8. Chapter 8

“Ah” Isshin said with one hand on the back of his head and an expression of being caught on his face “Lieutenant Matsumoto! Good to see you again.”

Ichigo could only stare in just as much shock but in an entirely different direction as the six soul reapers who had invaded his room. He was staring at them, because everyone but Rukia and Renji was staring at his father with _recognition_.

“Hey. What the Hell? You guys know each other?” Ichigo asked the silent room, not even knowing where to begin with the... the... _Captain Shiba_... thing.

“Well this isn't exactly how you were supposed to find out.” Isshin said with a glance at him but also including the soul reapers.

“You're alive? You've been here all this time?” Rangiku asked, still sounding shocked as she approached Isshin.

Behind her, Tōshirō was starting to recover, glaring at Isshin angrily and re-crossing his arms. Renji and Rukia were just exchanging looks and then looking over at Ichigo himself, and Ichigo didn't like the way Rukia went sort of pale just from looking at his face.

“You mean Ichigo is actually related to Kaien?” Rukia asked quietly, not asserting the question enough to receive an answer.

“Captain Shiba Isshin of the Tenth Division of the Gotei 13, went missing twenty years ago during a mission in district 3599. You'd better have a good explanation for this.” Tōshirō barked frostily.

“I was attacked by a hollow sent by Aizen Sosuke, and I'm fairly certain that he was present himself, though I never actually saw him. I know that _someone_ hidden cut me from behind, and that the attack made using my bankai impossible. Eventually my zanpakutō was so badly damaged that it was draining my reiryoku, I wound up stuck in a gigai without any soul reaper powers at all.” Isshin explained, while Ichigo reeled from what he was hearing.

“After that I was trapped here and wound up building a life for myself, there wasn't really anything else that I could have done with my soul in the condition that Aizen and his hollow left me in.” Isshin continued.

“You don't feel powerless to me. Seems like you'd be good for a fight or two even.” Ikkaku declared, crossing his own arms while Yumichika just looked troubled.

“Well yeah, I guess I have recovered quite a bit, but I have a family now. I couldn't just leave, and being punished for going missing would be the same if the Central 46 found out that I wasn't dead.” Isshin grit his teeth as he said that last part.

Hearing this made Ichigo wonder if the Central 46, who he'd been told had only ordered Rukia's execution because Aizen was controlling them, would have given Rukia the same sentence even without Aizen. It also made him wonder if that was the fate Isshin would be facing if Tōshirō reported Isshin's presence here to the rest of the Gotei 13, and if Hirako and his friends would get the same treatment for whatever their grudge was too.

“We already know that Urahara is an exile, at this point we need all the help we can get. The Central 46 are dead, and Captain Commander Yamamoto is in charge of everything until the next group of 46 is formed. I doubt that he'll do anything at all to you for being incapacitated by Aizen, but all the same this isn't the time to get bogged down in the politics of the matter.” Tōshirō conceded, moving on.

“Since you already heard what we were discussing anyway you may as well stay, assuming you have at least a sword to contribute to this.” Tōshirō continued, taking a seat on Ichigo's desk chair himself and absently rubbing at his shin where Karin had kicked him.

Looking around the room at the soul reapers who were setting aside their shock and confusion in order to return to the business at hand, Ichigo forced himself to remain silent even though all he wanted to do was shake his father until the useless old man explained what the Hell was going on. He'd said that it all had something to do with Aizen attacking him, and Aizen was the threat at hand, so this meeting was important. Ichigo could get his answers later, and now that he knew Isshin was a soul reaper captain Ichigo could always just beat it out of him if he had to.

“As far as things go, our primary mission here in District 3600 is to watch for and defend against any more of these incursions from Aizen's forces, which is why they sent a captain and several lieutenant level soul reapers.” Tōshirō continued. “In the time that we have it is training you, Ichigo, that is a priority because you are likewise at captain level. Reiryoku reserves-wise anyway, your skills overall could still use a lot of work and you don't have the experience yet for something like this.”

So they were back to the training bit. Ichigo knew that he would have an even harder time convincing them that he didn't need the training if Isshin agreed with them about it. The man would be hollering about it every day during his own 'training'. Ichigo blinked in surprise suddenly as he realized that Isshin was no longer covered in bruises or bandages, which didn't make any sense because he'd still been injured that morning.

“There's already more hollow activity all over Karakura Town ever since Kuchiki started patrolling here. Your presence is only going to increase that, and the soul reaper assigned here isn't someone I would have thought competent enough to be assigned to the jureichi.” Isshin said unexpectedly. “That's why Ichigo's been picking up the slack already, if you spend all his time training him then a lot of people are going to be eaten by hollows. At least one of you needs to be available to purify all of the lower level hollows that are going to be coming through on a nearly daily basis.”

“There are enough of us to keep one of us on standby for that, I guess?” Rangiku said, looking to Tōshirō for agreement.

He nodded back, “we can arrange that around everything else but it can't interfere with Kurosaki's training, we still don't know what the strength of Aizen's Arrancar forces is.”

“The strength? What do you mean, you said that the Arrancars gained the powers of soul reapers...” Ichigo asked, now more interested in what he was facing than in excuses to get out of training.

“Yes, but something like that would only destroy low level hollows. Only the classes of Menos are able to survive to harness that power.” Tōshirō explained.

“Classes? There's more than one kind of Menos?” Ichigo felt completely clueless all of a sudden, because he was sure that Rukia had told him that the Menos were the strongest kind of hollows.

“What did you teach him? I was told he fought a Menos, didn't you explain anything while you were here?” Tōshirō barked at Rukia suddenly, and she shifted awkwardly.

“Well the Menos are the strongest kind of hollow! I told him that! He was only supposed to be a temporary substitute until I regained enough reiatsu to take over again.” She tried to explain.

With a long-suffering look, Tōshirō turned back to him and explained: “Menos Grande is a general term for all advanced hollows. When a normal hollow consumes enough souls it becomes a Menos Grande, more specifically a Gillian, and they rarely leave Hueco Mundo unless they're called or sent by someone. That's the kind I was told that you fought.”

Ichigo thought back to the Menos, no the _Gillian_ , and the ones that he'd seen when Aizen had left the Gotei. He supposed that he could see why they weren't much better than average hollows, they were too big to be fast or maneuverable, so as long as you were strong enough to overpower them it figured that it wouldn't be too difficult to do. It made sense that they wouldn't leave Hueco Mundo much, if they were that vulnerable.

“The majority of Gillian are less intelligent than basic hollows, because the souls that they have consumed begin to war with each other, it's only when one soul becomes the dominant one that a Gillian can consume others of it's kind and evolve to the next stage of Menos. That's the Adjuchas, which are smaller than most basic hollows and regain the distinction of unique abilities and forms. The problem is that these Adjuchas are about equal in power to the average captain class soul reaper.” Tōshirō's words were as cold as ever, and Ichigo was shocked that there was still one more kind of Menos he hadn't described yet, if the Adjuchas were _captain_ level.

“Finally, the Vasto Lorde is the strongest of the Menos Grande, they're human sized although they are still obviously hollows. The problem is that even though they're extremely rare, and have only been seen just barely more frequently than Arrancars have, they are already more powerful than captain class soul reapers.” Tōshirō was looking right at Ichigo as he spoke, and Ichigo was quietly horrified by his next words.

“If Aizen's Arrancar army contains more than ten Vasto Lordes, then the Gotei 13 is doomed.”

The room was quiet and grim, everyone taking a moment to let the knowledge that they may well be outclassed sink in. The team of soul reapers had already heard all of this information, but it was news to Ichigo, and to Isshin to at least some extent as well. Ichigo swallowed hard, realizing that it was no wonder that they wanted to train him.

The Gotei 13 had thirteen captains but they'd lost three as traitors so they were down to ten, but as Tōshirō had said, Ichigo was at about captain level himself even if he hadn't been a soul reaper for long. If this was what they were up against then they could use all the help that they could get, which would also explain why Tōshirō sounded like he'd be conveniently neglecting to mention Isshin's presence to anyone who might want to punish him for anything. So that would be ten plus two, and Ichigo knew that Getaboshi had to be some kind of powerful soul reaper, and there was something about Yoruichi too. At least, Ichigo knew that Soi-Fon (who was a captain too) had some kind of history with Yoruichi. Now that he thought about it, she seemed to know Byakuya too, so maybe there were fourteen captain class soul reapers who could fight Aizen and his army.

It was a problem for more reasons than one then, that Ichigo had a hollow inside of him that was trying to take over. He hadn't even been able to fight those two Arrancars, not really, and until he learned to control that hollow he would be useless for anything else. Which meant that he had to train with Hirako and his Visoreds before he could train with Tōshirō and everyone else. He just didn't know how to arrange it.

The meeting broke up, and Ichigo noticed that Isshin was avoiding Rangiku, ducking out of his room as soon as he had the chance. Ichigo didn't have time to get involved though, because he was already making excuses to Rukia about why he didn't have time to talk and would see her later, because he really needed to check on Karin and Yuzu.

“Okay Ichigo, but I think we should talk soon!” Rukia insisted as she hopped out of the window last, at least recognizing how important it was for him to talk to his sisters before something else went wrong.

Ichigo knew that Rukia had something more on her mind that she wanted to tell him about what they had all just learned, but he really wasn't in the right frame of mind for anything else about soul society. He still couldn't get the sight of Yuzu crying out of his mind. So instead of talking to his friend, or tracking down Isshin to demand some of his own answers, or staying in his room to brood over everything he'd just learned and think about what it meant for himself Ichigo just sighed and shut the window after his visitors. He wondered briefly if the light above him was actually going to get fixed or if it would be broken for a while, sometimes he really didn't understand the crazy way these soul reaper's mind's worked.

This was going to be difficult, no matter how protective he was of his little sisters, or how well they got along there were just some times when conversation was a nightmare. He did his best because they were family, but sometimes concern hurt, and making Karin and Yuzu cry or even feel upset wasn't something he had ever been able to handle well. Ichigo shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and push the now finished meeting from his mind completely. Karin and Yuzu needed to talk, he needed to focus.

Ichigo took a deep breath, looking around his room one last time for inspiration, and then he steeled himself for the upcoming conversation. On his way out of the room Ichigo scooped Kon up off the floor where he was still laying discarded and apparently reluctant to move and become a target, and nervously made his way down the short hall to his sister's closed bedroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isshin's mission was in Naruki City which is right next to Karakura so the district # is probably only one different? So I called it District 3599.
> 
> also, I changed the last three paragraphs slightly (so I'm worried it doesn't sound quite right) because I actually JUST NOW split the chapter in half, it was supposed to be twice as long but I've been having a lot of internet trouble and since I usually do my final editing the day I post something I just don't have time to do the whole thing today, so, at least there's guaranteed another chapter to look forward to next month!


	9. Chapter 9

Standing just outside the door to the room that his little sisters shared, Ichigo hesitated for a moment. His one-handed grip on the stuffed lion that was Kon tightened briefly, making the mod-soul flail his little stuffed limbs. The lion remained silent though, still apparently thinking he was unnoticed despite the movement. Finally pushing past his uncertainty, Ichigo raised his hand to the wood.

The knock was brief, and Karin opened the door a crack with a red eyed glare. Ichigo fought not to chicken out once again, even if Karin was mad at him he had still promised to explain and he didn't like seeing her upset like this so if explaining would help then that was just what he was going to have to do.

“Everybody's gone, if you want to talk some more.” Ichigo offered tentatively.

“Okay, but you better explain for real, and not all of this war stuff. What really happened to you?” Karin demanded as she opened the door wider and shut it behind him.

Ichigo stood at the end of the first bed in the room, where Yuzu was just sitting up and rubbing her eyes dry. Ichigo dropped Kon on the end of the bed and nudged him toward Yuzu.

“Karin, Yuzu, this is Kon.” Ichigo introduced the lion as he sat up and they all looked at each other.

Karin had already seen him move but she'd been more concerned with other things at the time. Now both of his sisters stared at the lion plushie as he stood up and said hello. Karin kept back this time while Yuzu poked Kon in the forehead with one finger, making him flop back on the mattress. She wasn't crying at the moment though so that was good.

“What does a stuffed animal have to do with ghosts?” Yuzu asked as she helped Kon stand up again.

“Well, people call an ambulance when Rukia knocks Ichigo out of his body and leaves him laying somewhere, so if he swallows my pill instead then I can make sure no one notices that he's not in his body anymore.” Kon explained proudly of his purpose.

“You mean you're our brother sometimes?” Karin asked, apparently recalling yesterday when Kon had held her back from following him out the window.

“You mean you just let him take your place and lie to us while you're out doing dangerous stuff?” Yuzu asked, indignant all of a sudden and sitting up straight to glare at Ichigo the way she did when they were negotiating chores.

“Well, yes...?” Ichigo had to agree that what she said was what wound up happening a lot.

“Ichigo! What if you got hurt? What if something horrible happened? We wouldn't even know if you were okay! Some complete stranger would just take your place like nothing happened? You're our brother! We need to know when you're okay, when you're doing something dangerous!” Yuzu ranted as she got off the bed and stomped toward him as menacingly as she could while being an eleven year old girl.

It was more menacing than most people would think. Ichigo took two steps back while she glared up at him with her hands on her hips, all tears forgotten apparently.

“I- I'm sorry. When I started using Kon it was because some people thought I was hurt and called an ambulance. I was just trying to stay out of trouble like that.” Ichigo explained, he couldn't really believe that he hadn't thought about Kon spending time with his sisters before.

Kon wasn't going to hurt them, in fact Ichigo knew that Kon would protect them, but Ichigo had just thought that Kon being around was a good thing. No one would know he was gone and doing stuff he probably shouldn't be doing as far as normal teenagers were concerned, and everything would be better, not worse. He hadn't really thought of it from the angle of Kon pretending to be Karin and Yuzu's big brother.

By now Karin was sitting on the edge of the bed instead, holding Kon again while he looked at Yuzu kind of nervously. Ichigo was surprised that Karin was more accepting while Yuzu stomped back over to the end of the bed and hopped back on, her back to Kon and her arms crossed over her chest. She was clearly waiting for more of an explanation.

“You should tell us from now on. If you're Kon-Ichigo instead of Ichigo-Ichigo.” Karin said, poking Kon in the stomach until he nodded and then all attention was on Ichigo again.

“Um... okay... where exactly am I supposed to start?” Ichigo asked, never sure how much his sisters knew about a thing before they came to Ichigo for more details.

Possibly a bad habit for a big brother, but his sisters could be just as good as he was at keeping things to themselves, even if he knew them well enough to notice something bothering them it didn't mean that he knew what he needed to do for them.

“The beginning! What's going on and how did it all start?” Yuzu insisted, looking as though she might shout at him if he tried to wheedle out of the talk.

“Okay, okay! The beginning.” Ichigo agreed with both hands raised in his defense, he'd thought he'd have to be more comforting when he'd seen his sisters running away in tears, but they were a lot more ready to grill him than they were to cry on him apparently.

“Well, you know that day a truck crashed into our house?” Ichigo started, and waited for their nods as they clearly recalled.

“Well, it wasn't a truck, it was a hollow. Earlier that night, when I was in my room, Rukia walked right in through the window while she was tracking the hollow. I thought she was some kind of stupid cosplaying burglar, but she was completely shocked that I could see her. I had no idea that she was a ghost until she explained things.” Ichigo told them. “Then there was this howling sound, and Karin, you came upstairs to warn me. You were injured, and you said that 'dad's back exploded' before you collapsed in the doorway.”

Ichigo wasn't entirely comfortable relaying Karin's injuries, but they wanted the truth and the girls had always been better around injuries than he had been. That's why they were nurses in the clinic while he always had to get out of the way.

“Rukia and I went outside, and the hollow was threatening Yuzu, so I tried to fight it. I didn't have powers though, so I couldn't really do anything, and then I did something stupid and Rukia got hurt trying to protect me. I should have stayed out of it like she told me too, but I just couldn't.” Ichigo admitted more to his shoes than his sisters.

“I'm not entirely sure I understand how Rukia's powers transferred to me, a lot of what I've learned since then makes it seem like it shouldn't have worked that way. At the time though, one minute I was normal and the next minute I was dressed like a soul reaper and I was holding a zanpakutō.” Seeing the girls confusion at the name Ichigo elaborated. “That's the name for the kind of sword that soul reapers carry, it's a special sword that can send a normal ghost to the soul society where souls are supposed to pass on to when they die, and when you cut through a hollow's mask it sends all of the ghosts that a hollow has consumed to the soul society too.”

They were frowning at him, like they were trying to memorize a lesson so that they wouldn't forget what was important. Ichigo wondered if they wanted to take notes.

“After I destroyed that hollow, I guess I collapsed. When I woke up the next morning you guys were all talking about a truck, and later Rukia explained that there's this memory replacement device that soul reapers use to make living people forget that they were attacked by hollows. That's why you don't remember.”

“She messed with our memories? Ichigo you know I've been able to see ghosts all this time! I should have known about this!” Karin insisted while Yuzu pursed her lips and didn't say anything because she'd never been able to see ghosts.

“Well it wasn't up to me at the time! Rukia was really insistent about things in the beginning, and she didn't understand how stuff works in the living world, soul society is really old fashioned.” Ichigo insisted, uncomfortably remembering how frustrating Rukia had been at the start.

“Anyway, she said that I'd somehow taken more of her powers than she meant to give, so I should help her protect Karakura Town until she got better, and then I saw this little kid ghost about to get eaten by a hollow. He was so scared that I couldn't just _watch_. It all kind of happened fast after that, hollows kept showing up and my friends kept getting hurt, and then some soul reapers” Ichigo specifically wasn't going to say it was Rukia's brother and best friend “came to take Rukia back to soul society. They said that she'd broken the law and was in trouble.”

“Did she?” Yuzu asked coldly, kicking her feet against the side of the bed.

“What? Uh, well maybe kind of, but they said that it was illegal for her to give me the power to protect my family! I mean, if she hadn't done that, then you two...” Ichigo trailed off as a constricting feeling overtook his chest and throat.

He couldn't even imagine what would have happened if he hadn't taken Rukia's offer of power. Just thinking that his sisters would be de- would be eat- he couldn't even finish the thought.

“What did you do?” Karin asked in a hoarse voice, and Ichigo didn't like the look on her face.

Ichigo swallowed hard before answering, looking at the bedspread instead of his sisters. “I went to soul society to help.” He definitely didn't mention Byakuya leaving him to bleed on the sidewalk or the intense training that Getaboshi put him through, he didn't want to have to explain the hollow in his soul that kept trying to get out.

“While I was there, one of the captains- well, I mean...” Ichigo realized he'd have to stop and explain the Gotei first, before he could talk about Aizen and the war that everyone was preparing for.

“The soul reapers are all a part of an organization called the Gotei 13, there are thirteen divisions that each have a captain and lieutenant over all the rest of their division of soul reapers and the captain of the first division is in charge of the rest of the Gotei 13 as the captain commander. There's also this group of nobles? They're called Central 46, and they can tell the Gotei 13 and the captain commander what to do.” Explanation over, he could continue with what happened with Aizen.

“Central 46 ordered Rukia's execution, but a lot of other stuff happened while we were trying to save Rukia. One of the captains, the captain of the fifth division, was found murdered and no one could figure out what really happened. Eventually I... we... well I managed to save Rukia and her captain and one of his friends who was also a captain managed to stop the execution. We all kind of, got in a big fight though?” Ichigo wasn't really sure how to describe everyone picking sides or how Ukitake-san and Kyoraku-san had fought the captain commander himself for Rukia.

“While we were all fighting, Tōshirō... who you met Karin” nodding to show she obviously remembered the white haired kid she'd kicked in the shin just half an hour ago, Ichigo continued. “Well he and one of the other captains went to the chambers where Central 46 has it's meetings, and they found that the whole group of 46 nobles was dead. There was a big announcement, and then the captain of the fifth division, Aizen Sosuke turned up alive.” He didn't really know how to explain the Hogyoku either, or how to go back and explain Getaboshi's role in everything, so he skipped over that part.

“Then he and two of his followers, two other captains, told the rest of us that they'd arranged the whole thing with Rukia getting arrested and executed. It wasn't really Central 46's decision to have Rukia executed at all, that's just what Aizen told them to order before he killed them all.” Ichigo told them.

His sisters were a lot more calm than he thought they'd be, just watching him talk now, which made him uncomfortably aware of how little time he'd been spending with them recently if he wasn't used to their reactions anymore.

“They escaped to the other dimension where hollows come from, and now Tōshirō says that they're building an army, for whatever it is that Aizen is really trying to do.” Ichigo finished carefully, wondering what his sisters were going to say.

After a brief pause, Yuzu spoke up first. “Ichigo... you know that you don't need to do any of this stuff in the first place... right?”

Ichigo just stared at her. He didn't know how to process the words, they just didn't make sense to him.

With a huff she stood up again. “You're not dead! You're alive and it's not your job to get involved with these people! In fact they were specifically trying to keep you out of it at first!”

“But all those people yesterday! They died! And how many more would have if I hadn't gone and-” Here Ichigo stopped, because what exactly had he _done_ to stop the Arrancars?

“What about yesterday? You could have been killed to? You could have made things worse? You could have stayed out of it and let someone who's supposed to handle it get involved instead?” Karin asked, still angry about him leaving her behind when he went to the park.

He hadn't done anything. He hadn't been able to, and Hirako had come and saved Tatsuki while he'd been laying there incapable of even standing up. Hirako had probably saved him too, then, but Hirako wasn't a soul reaper. At least, he wasn't part of the Gotei 13, and that afro guy who's name he couldn't remember didn't look like he was strong enough to fight those Arrancars. Ichigo wasn't a great judge of strength outside of a fight, but he wasn't sure that Kuma-whatsit was really strong enough to be assigned to Karakura Town even on a regular day, let alone when there were all these big Arrancar hollows around.

“They need my help.” Ichigo said weakly in the face of his sisters indignant expressions.

“They don't! They shouldn't be asking, or demanding like that bossy captain-kid was! You're a kid too, right? You shouldn't have to fight a war!” Karin repeated from earlier, squeezing Kon tighter against her stomach as she looked up at him.

“You're not doing it! You can't! I won't let you Ichigo!” Yuzu said like a parent instead of a little sister.

She'd always seemed to be trying to fit the mold of mom, ever since they lost her. Ichigo had tried to pick up the slack where Isshin was failing, but Yuzu had still found a missing piece of mom's presence that they all sorely needed, and Ichigo wasn't even sure anymore if mom had really stood in an apron in the kitchen and scolded them all while dinner was cooking behind her but it was just so domestic and mom-like that Yuzu made it work for them.

She couldn't tell him not to do this though. There was too much that he couldn't stand to lose if Aizen kept sending Arrancars here to Karakura Town, and that wasn't even mentioning his soul reaper friends. He knew they wouldn't get any sympathy from his sisters, they hadn't so far, but most of all it was the hollow. He couldn't stop what he was doing because he had to learn to control his hollow somehow, and Hirako was involved with all of this Visored business which was definitely going to run into the Gotei 13 somehow which meant that there was just no way that Ichigo could disentangle himself now even if he wanted to.

He didn't really want to, but he would have for his sisters if it had been safer for them, except that their safety was tied up in all of this too. Besides that he still had the new and confusing information that Isshin was a soul reaper too, and Ichigo didn't have a clue how that was going to change things but it couldn't just be one more coincidence, Isshin had seemed to agree to getting involved in the war against Aizen. Ichigo didn't think that Isshin would agree with his sisters about Ichigo staying out of it.


End file.
